Blue Ocean Floor
by Emtifahp
Summary: Years after leaving Neptune for a job with the FBI on the East Coast, Veronica finds herself returning in order to weather the storm after a botched op. Will Neptune be a safe haven or will it throw her right back into the mess she thought she left behind. AU starting after The Bitch is Back (however some influences from the movie)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Logan was sprawled across his living room couch sucking at Call of Duty when the pounding on his suite door began. In his gut he knew it was Veronica making the sound even though he hadn't heard from or seen her since he beat up Gory Sorokin two weeks earlier. Pushing pause on the game, he thought about pretending that he wasn't there but then he remembered that she still had a card key to the room; sooner or later she would use it to try opening the door and would find out that he hadn't changed the code after they had broken up in January. Resigned, he tossed his controller down on the seat beside him and made his way to the front door. Taking a deep breath, Logan opened the door. Before he could say anything, Veronica stormed past him into the living room and stopped at the far end of his couch._

_"God, Logan! What didn't you understand when I told you Gory was connected?"_

_"Yeah. Sure. Come on in, Veronica," he said sarcastically to the empty doorway. He closed the door then turned around, "I understood you fine; I just didn't care. Like I've told you before, all I want to do is protect you."_

_Veronica gave a huff. "I don't need you to protect me, Logan." _

_Logan took a step away from the door which made Veronica take a step back. He held out his hand with his palm facing Veronica as if she was a spooked animal and he was reassuring it that there was nothing to worry about. Slowly made his way to the opposite end of the couch from her. _

_"I know that, Veronica. You've proved that time and time again," he said when he stopped. Bringing down his hand he added, "The key words in what I said was 'all I want'. I don't do it because it's what you need. I do it because it's what I need!" _

_Veronica looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "That's insane!" she hissed._

_Logan gave out a bitter laugh, "Yeah, but you want to know what's even more insane? More insane is the fact that even when I have ruined things for good between us, I get so sick that I have to physically vomit when I hear that someone hurt you. I literally cannot breathe." Suddenly all the energy left Logan's body and he had sit down on the arm of the couch. "Don't you get it Veronica, I love you so much that it hurts."_

_"Logan," Veronica began, her voice had lost some of its hard edge._

_"You had your say two weeks ago. It's my turn to talk, Veronica," Logan interrupted. Veronica pursed lips together but gave a nod in agreement._

_"I know you don't want me in your life and I promise that once you exit that door that I will leave you alone. I'll pretend not to know you if that's what you really want, but you have to know that I'm not going to stop loving you. I've tried to stop, but I always end up hurting other people. I…"_

_Logan's words were stopped when Veronica closed the distance between them, took his face in her hands, and crashed her lips onto his. It wasn't until Veronica's tongue had sneaked out from between her lips and tried to coax Logan to open his that he registered what was happening. He pulled his head back, leaving Veronica confused._

_"What about Piz?" he asked, looking her directly in the eye._

_Veronica dropped her hands from his face and her eyes darted to the side. "We broke up."_

_"What? Why?" Logan said, his voice full of concern. He may not have liked Piz for the way he had passively-aggressively gone after Veronica all year, but he hoped his actions hadn't forced Piz to dump her._

_"He saw how I looked at you after your fight with Gory." She paused before adding, "He asked me to never see you again, and I couldn't tell him yes."_

_A small smile crept up onto Logan's face. At that moment that was the best thing he had ever heard. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. As he returned his lips to hers he whispered, "I love you." Veronica in turn nipped at his lips with her teeth and moved her hands to underneath his shirt. It didn't take long for them to tear off each other's clothes and become a pile of tangled arms and legs. Thankfully Dick had already moved out to a rental beach house with his dad so Logan didn't expect any interruptions. _

_That night he made love to her three times. The first time was on the living room sofa and he let Veronica set the pace. Everything felt fast, hard, and desperate. As she positioned herself on his lap she dug her finger nails into his back, leaving long red marks among the pale white scars left by his father. The second time, Logan had thrown Veronica over his shoulder and carried her into his room. He tossed her down on the bed and then using only his mouth brought her to an orgasm that left her body loose as jelly and a smile about a mile wide on her face. The third time was slow and tender and they kept their eyes locked together the entire time. When they were done, Veronica wrapped Logan's arm around her waist and snuggled into him before falling asleep. Feeling her steady breathing, he placed a kiss on the back of her head and fell asleep as well._

_He woke up a few hours later to find the bed empty. Alarmed, he lifted his head and looked around the room but she wasn't in there. "Veronica?" he called out groggily._

_A moment later Veronica poked her head in from the doorway of the living room. "Hey."_

_"What time is it?" he asked._

_"It's only 5:30. You should go back to sleep." Veronica replied as she stepped inside the room. Logan noticed that her hair was wet from taking a shower and that she had put all her clothes back on except for her socks and shoes._

_Logan frowned in confusion. "I know it's been awhile, but I think you got our roles reversed. I'm usually the one out of bed early to go catch some waves, you stay in bed and order coffee from room service."_

_Veronica padded over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "I have to go, Logan."_

_"Why?"_

_Veronica sighed. "You remember that FBI internship my criminology professor wanted me to apply for?"_

_"Yeah," he croaked._

_"I got it. My plane for DC leaves at 10. Dad's dropping me off at the airport but he wants to stop for breakfast first," she explained. She reached out and ran her fingers through the front of his hair._

_Logan pushed himself up so he was sitting against the bed's headboard. "That's great!" he said, trying to muster as much enthusiasm as possible. "That's really great."_

_"Thanks," Veronica said._

_They both remained silent. Since he wasn't wearing a shirt, Logan started to pull at the edge of the top sheet nervously with his fingers. Finally he asked uncertainly, "So was last night…just a booty call?"_

_"No," Veronica quickly replied, placing one of her hands on top of his. His hands immediately stilled. "I came over because I wanted to tell you to be careful before I left. I know that's not what it sounded like with me yelling at you, but sometimes I feel like that is the only way I can get through to you."_

_Logan nodded, "Consider it message received. I'll try to stay out of trouble while you're gone." He paused and then asked, "So, ummm, where does that leave us?"_

_Veronica looked away again and gave an uncertain shrug. "I don't know. Part of me is still really upset about what you did to Piz, but then another part of me…" Veronica words trailed off. A tiny, blissful smile emerged on her face and her eyes softened a bit; it didn't take a PI to tell Logan that she was thinking about last night. Finally she returned her eyes to his and she suggested, "Maybe we take the 12 weeks I'm gone and give each other some space and time to think. We can talk about it when I get back?"_

_"Ok," Logan said, trying to keep his voice neutral even though for the first time in a long time he felt a little hope._

_Veronica leaned over and gave Logan a quick kiss on the forehead. When she pulled back, Logan noticed her glancing at his alarm clock._

_"I really have to go, Logan," she said. "Do you think you can stay in here until I leave? I really suck at formal good-byes."_

_"Yeah, sure," he said, bringing his hands to the sides of his head and making him almost look like a small kid. "It's not a good-bye anyways."_

_"Yeah, you're right," Veronica agreed as she stood back up and headed out. She stopped at the bedroom door and turned to Logan. "I'll see you in 12 weeks."_

_Logan stayed in his bed for over an hour after she left, any sooner and he probably would have chased her down and begged her not to go. _

_That summer he did as he promised Veronica and stayed out of trouble. He spent his time surfing with Dick, going to summer classes, playing video games with Heather, and working with Mac on upgrading the "grade my ass" website. In terms of thinking about what he wanted, he didn't need to think long or hard to know that all he wanted was another chance with Veronica. When she gave him that chance, he was going to do everything in his power not to screw it up._

_Approximately 12 weeks and 5 days after he last spoke to Veronica, Logan was in the school bookstore trying to find all his textbooks for the upcoming semester when he ran into Wallace and Mac in the history section. _

_"Oh hey, Mac. Fennel." Logan greeted them. Given Wallace's friendship with Piz, Logan wasn't surprised to only get a curt "'sup," from Wallace; however Mac appeared almost nervous as she chirped "hey." This confused Logan since he had spent a fair amount of time working with her over the summer._

_"I wish I had known I was going to run into you here." Logan said trying to break the ice. "My accountant just sent over our first profit checks from the website," _

_"Really? How'd we do?" Mac's face loosened as if she was relieved to only be talking about the website._

_ "Well enough that I think you could upgrade that car of yours," Logan replied._

_"Not everybody wants a gas-guzzling SUV, Logan. I love my little Beetle, thank you very much," Mac defended her car, but then added enthusiastically "But still. Yay!" Mac held up her hand and Logan gave it a high five._

_Seeing Mac more relaxed, Logan decided to make his move. "So, where's the third musketeer?" he asked. Mac's body stiffened and her smile faded from her face. Logan shifted his attention to Wallace who was suddenly finding his shoes extremely interesting. Sobering up at their reaction to his question, he clarified, "Where's Veronica? I thought she was coming back to Neptune this week."_

_Without looking up Wallace gave a grunt. "She's already been back and gone, man."_

_Logan stepped back as if he had been pushed. "What do you mean she's 'been back and gone'?"_

_Wallace straightened up and said matter-of-factly, "She's going to study Criminal Justice at George Washington in DC. She came home last week for just a couple of days to pack." _

_Logan could feel a sickening knot build in the pit of his stomach. "I don't understand." _

_Mac took a step towards him and put a sympathetic hand on his arm. "Veronica left Hearst. She's not coming back to Neptune."_

**Author's Note - I started this story years ago and got through the first act but then fell into Writer's Block. Somehow the energy surrounding the movie has renewed my motivation to continue this story and begin to share it with the Marshmallow community. Anything that happened during Season 1-3 can be considered canon, but it diverges from there (although there are elements from the S4 FBI pilot and the movie that I have brought in). I'm posting the prologue and the first 3 chapters today (3/20/14), and starting next week posting 1 chapter a week. Thanks to all my Betas! Hope you enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 1

Veronica wasn't sure if the "ugh" coming from her mouth was derived from the effort she spent pulling the large suitcase with most of her worldly possessions up the one lone step in front of the doorway or from her doubts that returning to Neptune was the right thing to do. She gave a glance back at the taxi pulling away from her dad's driveway and briefly considered yelling at it to stop so could jump back in and have it bring her back to the airport. Instead, she took a deep breath of the unmistakable salty California coastal air and knocked on the door. There was no turning back now.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the curtains of the living room flutter as some very short person ran away. "Must be Jaime" she thought to herself. Three years ago Keith had met single-mother Carla while tracking an insurance fraud suspect. Fortunately for Keith, Carla and her one year old son Jaime were new enough to Neptune that they had no preconceptions about the Mars family name. One thing led to another and suddenly one day Keith was remarried, moving into a house in a respectable zip code, and Veronica was no longer an only child. Not that she didn't love having a younger brother (they were practically inseparable whenever they were around each other), but it was strange watching her dad parent another child. She could hear Jaime run into the main hallway and yell out, "She's here!" followed by someone else shushing him.

Veronica waited a beat before she brought up her hand to knock again, but before her hand hit the wood, the door swung open.

"Surprise!"

Veronica stood with her mouth hanging open. Besides Keith, Jaime, and Carla – her best friends Wallace and Mac and their partners – Wallace's fiancé Melanie and Mac's husband Dick Casablancas (which Veronica still had a hard time wrapping her head around that fact)– stood in the front hallway with a giant banner proclaiming "Welcome Home!"

"The Prodigal Daughter has returned!" Keith proclaimed before pulling her into a bear hug. He quietly added so only she could hear, "You said you didn't want a big scene at the airport."

"Gee Dad, thanks for listening," Veronica whispered back with part sincerity and part sarcasm.

Seconds later Jaime had wrapped his short arms around her legs. Although her arms were pinned to the side by her dad, her hand was able to reach the top of Jaime's hair and ruffled it.

"I love you guys," Veronica wheezed out, "but you can ease up, I can't breathe."

Keith gave one more quick squeeze then let go and stepped back so everyone else could have a turn. One by one they all came up and gave her hugs. Carla managed to pry Jaime from Veronica's legs, giving room for Wallace and Melanie. When Dick came up, he gave her playful hug while announcing, "I just came for the food, Ronnie." This was followed by an oomph as his wife gave him a swift but playful jab with her elbows.

"Please ignore my oaf of a husband," Mac apologized while embracing Veronica.

"I try my best. Why did you marry him again?" Veronica replied with a wink at Dick. Despite their colorful history, Veronica and Dick had grown to respect each other since he and Mac got married. She and Dick still gave each other a hard time, but now it was underlined with friendship.

"I ask myself that question every day," Mac retorted, but punctuated it with a kiss to Dick.

Keith had managed to drag in Veronica's suitcase and closed the front door. He threw his arm around her shoulders, "Sweetie, that thing weighs twice as much as you. Did you actually leave anything in the apartment for Eric?"

"His dry-cleaning ticket and a moldy piece of cheese in the refrigerator," Veronica said innocently.

"That's my girl." Keith said proudly and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Keith, I think it's time you got the steak on the grill. Everybody else, there's beer and chips out on the back patio." Carla began to direct everyone outside.

Veronica took a minute to watch everybody head outdoors, laughing and joking around. Her next thought was one that she would only admit to herself, "It's good to be back home."


	3. Chapter 2

Two hours later, they all sat around the patio table with plates in front of them that had practically been licked clean. Jaime had climbed into Veronica's lap before dessert was served and was now sucking his thumb and fighting to keep his eyes open. Veronica had one arm around his waist so she could keep him from sliding off, and her other hand was stroking his baby hair. Had a stranger walked by and seen them, they might think that Veronica was Jaime's mom.

Veronica had sat by for the most part, listening to the latest Neptune gossip. They covered everything from Parker Lee's engagement to a NFL player, to Luke Halderman's coming out party, and finally to Madison Sinclair's newest plastic addition to her body. There was a bit of underlying subtext coming from her friends that they expected Veronica to tell them why she had returned but they knew better than to ask in front of everyone. Keith knew the full story behind what led to Veronica's trip home and while she fully intended to fill in Mac and Wallace on most of it, they were right in assuming that she wasn't quite ready to talk about it in front of their significant others.

A lull had come over the table, so Carla took the opportunity to get up and collect Jaime. Although his eyes were almost completely shut, his hands had an iron grip on Veronica's shirt.

"Time for this little one to go to bed," Carla cooed as she attempted to pry Jaime's hand open.

"No, I want to stay with my sister!" he tiredly pouted.

"I'm still going to be here in the morning." Veronica promised before switching to persuasion, "But you need to go to bed before Dad decides to lull us all to sleep with stories about greasers, stacked women, and what it was like when he used to be cool." Veronica winked at her Dad and he just rolled his eyes. Jaime giggled at this without really knowing what Veronica was saying, but apparently it was convincing because he let go. Veronica gave him a peck on the cheek as Carla lifted him out of her lap.

"Well, on that note," Keith stood up from the table, "I'm going to start doing the dishes for my lovely bride."

"Let me help," Veronica quickly replied and started to get up too.

Keith held up a hand to stop her, "No, no. Your old man's got this. Night kids."

Mac and Dick were animatedly whispering back and forth until Dick ushered an "Ow, ok." He straightened up in his chair and addressed the whole table, "Umm, Veronica, it was great catching up, but I have a poker game tonight so I should head out." Dick paused and looked at Wallace. "Are you coming tonight?" Dick's face winced again, making it clear that Mac had stomped on his foot.

"Nah man. I'm going to hang here tonight. But tell the guys that I'll be taking their money next week." Wallace answered. He then added, "Mel and I can drop Mac off at home for you."

"Actually," Melanie began regretfully, "I have an early meeting tomorrow. Dick, could you drop me off on your way to the Grand?"

"Sure can do," Dick quickly agreed, avoiding another prompt from his wife.

The two couples exchanged kisses and then Dick and Melanie left, leaving Veronica, Wallace, and Mac sitting alone at the table.

"So, what's with all the smacking Dick around for?" Veronica asked. "Is he really that dim you need to knock the sense into him all the time?"

"He would like you to think that," Mac started. As she continued her mouth broke into a playful smile, "but really Dick just likes…"

"_OH NO_!" Wallace interrupted. "Do _NOT_ go there. I need to be able to keep a straight face while playing poker against him."

"Then you shouldn't have picked two girls as your best friends," Mac pointed out.

"I'm with Wallace on this one. There are some things I just don't want to know about Dick Casablancas," Veronica agreed.

"And _you_," Wallace said as he turned and pointed at Veronica. "_You_ need to start talking."

"You make it sound like I have something interesting to say," Veronica said feigning disbelief that she was holding back on them.

Wallace just raised an eyebrow. This time it was Mac who asked the question, "Not that we aren't happy to see you, but why did you come back, Veronica?"

"Can't a girl come and visit her family and bestest friends in the world?" Veronica said nonchalantly.

Wallace let out a snort. "Maybe if you were an ordinary girl and this wasn't Neptune."

"Yeah, Veronica. Your dad said you were staying indefinitely, but you haven't been home for more than a long weekend since you moved to the East Coast. Is everything ok?" Mac tacked on.

Veronica sighed and took a few moments to choose her words carefully. She finally said, "Lately, Eric's been pressuring me to leave the field and take an analyst position. Once you leave the field, it's difficult to get back to it, especially for women. I kept telling him that I'm not ready for that part of my career to be over. So a couple months ago, my team participated in an op that Eric led; I can't really tell you what happened other than say that things did not go as planned. This week, Eric released his report on what happened; and while he doesn't come right out and say that it was my fault (which it wasn't), he recommended that I be placed on a six month field op probation."

Wallace winced. "That's cold. Didn't even warn you?"

Veronica shrugged. "No. And when I went to his office to ask him about it, he basically refused to talk so I broke up with him."

"I'm so sorry Veronica. He seemed like a nice guy," Mac added.

"I thought that at one time, too," Veronica sighed.

The three of them all took sips of their beers and let a silence fall over them. Veronica glanced over at the kitchen window and could see her dad washing dishes. Carla must have finished putting Jaime to bed because Keith was talking to someone in the kitchen. Veronica couldn't help but give a wistful smile at how happy her Dad seemed to be with his domestic life.

"That still doesn't explain why you came back to Neptune," Wallace's voice drew Veronica's attention back to her friends.

"Thankfully my boss thinks the report is bullshit." Veronica said. "We talked about it and agreed that if I take the probation it's basically me accepting the blame and I probably wouldn't be allowed back to the field even after it's over. His suggestion was that I take a three-month extended leave. Give some time for the dust to settle and people to forget what happened while also getting a little relaxation."

"You came to relax here?" Mac interjected skeptically.

"Not my idea. It was my boss' suggestion to get away from DC and see family." Veronica admitted. "Besides, I would have gotten bored in DC by the end of the first week - it only takes so long to visit all the Smithsonians."

Wallace and Mac exchanged concerned looks. Experience had taught them that when a Mars joked when telling bad news that there usually was more to a story, but they also recognized that Veronica had told them all she would for now.

"So what are your plans while you're here, V?" Wallace asked

"I saw in San Diego Flyer magazine that our old classmate Madison Sinclair is now a pole aerobics instructor to the stars. Wanna join me in a class?" Veronica asked with a smirk before draining the last bit of her beer. The three of them burst out laughing and didn't stop for a couple of minutes. When they finally calmed down, Veronica added.

"Seriously though, seeing that my name is on the sign, I'm going to help dad with his case load at Mars Investigations. Track down a few bail jumpers, stakeout some cheating hussies. It will be a nice change of pace from chasing down pedophiles and terrorists."

"I think it's safe to say, you have a much different definition of relaxation than the rest of us," Mac pointed out.

Wallace nodded in agreement and then grabbed three bottles of beer from the tub of drinks that was beside the table. He opened each bottle and passed them out to the girls. The three of them raised their bottles in the air. "I want to make a toast. Here's to the return of our friend the marshmallow, Veronica Mars."

As they clinked their bottles in cheers, Veronica added, "That's right Neptune. The Bitch is back."


	4. Chapter 3

Across town, Dick Casablancas walked into the living room of the largest suite of the Neptune Grand. A green felt-topped table was set up in the middle of the room and two men were already sitting around it. They were both around the same age as Dick, but one was a stocky Latino with a shaved-and-shined head while the other was a fit white guy who never quite lost all his boyishness after high school.

"Hey DK! Hey Cue Ball!" Dick playfully barked at his friends.

"You call me that again, Chulo," the Latino raised one eyebrow, "And next time you bring your car in for detailing, I'll have the guys use steel wool to do it."

DK, also known as Duncan Kane, chuckled to himself as he began to shuffle cards.

"Don't call Weevil Cue Ball," Dick said under his breath - as if he was reminding himself to pick up milk at the grocery store. He poured 3 drinks at the bar and then came over to the table and set one in front of each friend, uttering "Sorry, Weevs," when he gave Weevil a glass and then sat down himself.

Weevil gave a nod as he accepted the apology and took a sip of his drink. "So where's Fennel? Don't you two usually take the mini-van pool over here." Weevil asked.

"Ha ha ha," Dick said dryly. He took some furtive glances toward the front door. "Is Logan here yet?"

Duncan, who had been continuously shuffling cards suddenly stopped. "Yeah, he got a call from Vegas, but he's taking it in the bedroom. Why?"

Dick glanced at the bedroom door to make sure Logan wasn't coming out. "Look, Mac made me promise not to tell him this, but she didn't say anything about you two." Dick dropped his voice to a whisper, forcing the others to lean in to hear him. "We had dinner at Keith Mars' house tonight. Veronica's back in town."

Weevil and Duncan both sat back, their faces registering surprise.

Dick continued on nervously, "Wallace is still over there, probably getting the full story about why she's back. Mac thought that Veronica may be staying for a while, but she wasn't sure."

While Dick shifted his focus back again on the bedroom doors, praying that Logan didn't come out while they were talking about his ex, he missed the look that was exchanged between Duncan and Weevil. When Dick turned back to his friends he asked, "Look, I love my wife, but isn't it bros before…well, you know. Don't you think we should tell Logan?"

Before either Duncan or Weevil could answer, Logan came strolling out of the bedroom's door. "Tell me what?" Logan asked as he headed toward the table. Dick, who was infamous for his lack of stealth, got a constipated look come over his features.

Duncan was the one who came to the rescue. "That you're out of Scotch, man. Don't you have connections here or something?" Logan flipped Duncan the bird and went to examine the bar. While he was over there, Duncan leaned over to Dick and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Don't piss off your wife."

Logan turned back to the table with a bottle in his hand, "Ok Dick, you seriously need to lay off the Party Pig or maybe it's time to get some specs in your old-age. There was a full bottle on the second shelf." Dick mumbled "thanks," in response and Logan was about to ask him what was wrong when Weevil cut him off.

"Can we start this game already? Unlike you white boys, my wife hits me with a frying pan if I don't get back to the barrio before midnight," Weevil made a motion like he was clubbing someone. On that word, Duncan began to deal out the cards.

"Shouldn't we wait for Wallace to show the fuck up?" Logan asked.

"He called. Melanie's sick. Said we should go on without him." Duncan casually offered as he finished passing out the cards. He glanced up at Logan and could tell that Logan was trying to decide if he should call him on it. After a second, Logan's forehead relaxed.

"Ok boys," Duncan declared, "Game is five card stud, dueces wild, and since the professor isn't here - minimum $200 bet."


	5. Chapter 4

Veronica groaned as she became aware of the tongue bath that the new Backup was giving her right ear. Unlike his predecessor, 2-Point-O (as she called him) didn't know that Veronica never showed affection before morning coffee.

"Get off me," Veronica muttered into the sofa cushion that she was lying face first into. She half-hazardly tried swatting the dog away from her head before she dropped her hand into a bowl of some liquid with big lumps floating in it. The only thing this did was redirect 2.0's attention from her face to her fingers.

"Wakey, wakey," Keith called out as he walked into the living room. He set down the tray he was carrying on the coffee table before perching himself on the edge of the sofa.

Veronica opened her eyes and glared at her father. "Have I ever told you that you remind me of Jack Nicholson in The Shining when you say that," she grumbled.

Keith waved off her comment. "You know, we do have a guest room now. Carla put clean sheets on the bed and everything," he razzed her.

"This was closer," she flatly replied as she began to sit up. "What time is it anyways?"

"8:30," Keith answered. "Of course that's like almost noon on the East Coast."

"According to that logic, I didn't go to bed until after 6 am. Good night." Veronica tried to nestle back into the cushions, but Keith wasn't having it. He picked the bowl off from the floor and handed it to Veronica.

"Your little brother made you breakfast." Veronica looked down in the bowl and instantly wished she hadn't. It looked like a mixture of milk, apple juice, pop tart, fruit loops, bacon, and some big wrinkly blobs.

"They're doing a unit on nutrition in his class and have really drummed into his head that breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Keith deadpanned.

"So we're supposed to eat all of it at once?" Veronica had to close her eyes and hand the bowl back to her father. "Do I even want to know what those floaty brown things are?"

"Those would be prunes."

"Prunes? I'm worried about what they are teaching him at that school." Veronica said followed by a gagging noise.

"Oh – he overheard his mom say to me that I needed more fiber since I was getting old. The prunes must mean that he thinks you're old too," Keith shrugged and put the bowl on the tray while Veronica gave him a death stare. He then picked up two aspirin he had brought out and handed them to Veronica, following that with a glass of water. After she had drained that glass, he handed her a cup of steaming coffee.

"So it sounded like you kids were having a good time last night," Keith commented.

"It was," Veronica said somewhat wistfully. "I don't have anyone in DC like Wallace and Mac."

"Yeah, they're pretty special. Did you tell them why you came back?"

Veronica looked at her father. She knew what he was trying to get her to say. She bought time by taking some sips of coffee before she finally said, "I gave them a basic outline. Break up from backstabbing boyfriend. Trying to rescue what's left of my career."

"So you didn't tell them about…," Keith's question was cut off by Veronica

"No. There's no point in worrying them like that."

"Veronica, you need to talk to someone about what happened." Keith implored her.

"You sound like the Bureau's shrink," she replied annoyed.

"They sound like a smart person." Keith placed his arm around his daughter's shoulders and drew her into him. Veronica leaned her head down so it was resting on his shoulder. "I just worry that you might internalize what happened and blame yourself when there was nothing you could do."

Veronica sniffed and then straightened up. In a few seconds, any sign of vulnerability had disappeared from her face. "I know Dad, I'm just not ready to talk about it with anyone. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it."

"Promise me that when you do find yourself ready, you'll talk to someone."

Veronica looked Keith in the eye and gave a nod of agreement.

"So until then, Dad, what do you suggest I do?" Veronica asked her dad.

"I know of a place that needs someone to answer phones. Minimum wage, may require overtime, but you may also get to slap a bail jumper around a time or two if you're lucky." Keith answered with a gleam in his eye.

**Author's Note - Thank you to everyone who have favorited, followed, and/or reviewed this story since I first posted it. I hope that it lives up to your expectations. I quickly realized that I will probably have to post more than 1 chapter a week, especially since some of these early chapters are short. So look forward to the next chapter on Friday. I promise more action is coming up.**


	6. Chapter 5

Veronica had spent the morning putting traces on credit cards for people they were looking into. When she first started back a week ago, it had taken her about 30 minutes to relearn all the ins and outs of the tracing program. This kind of scut work was pretty much done by interns and first year recruits at the Bureau so Veronica had gotten a little rusty. Fortunately she was a fast learner and she got back in the swing of things pretty quickly.

While the neighborhood the office was in had started the process of gentrification, not much had changed in the office itself – it was still the same couch, the same desks, and the same pictures on the wall. In the week that she had been working, the only new thing Veronica had really noticed was the coffee maker. Keith had gone all new millennium and gotten one of those machines that makes everything using pods. Of course when Veronica really thought about, she realized that Carla was probably the one who purchased it; her father had never been averse to drinking the cups of coffee half full of grounds that the machine before it had always produced.

"Can you hold down the fort while I go grab us some calzones at Mama Leoni's?" Keith called over his shoulder as he headed for the office's front door.

"Just grab me a salad and an ice tea." Veronica called after him, tacking on a "Please!" at the end. Keith acknowledged her request with a grunt as he exited.

Veronica grabbed a stack of files from her desk and swung around in her chair to start filing them away. She hadn't filed more than a few when there was a knock on the office door followed by the sound of it opening.

"I'll be with you in just a second," Veronica said as she placed the last file.

"Oh my God! Veronica?!"

Veronica swung her chair around so fast that she hit her knee on the open cabinet door. She winced in pain, but that was soon overcome by the surprise of seeing her ex-boyfriend Duncan Kane in front of her. Before she could say something, Duncan had come to her side of the desk, pulled her up from the chair, and wrapped his arms around her. After a few seconds, he released her and held her at arms-length, looking her up and down.

"Veronica, you look great!" he gushed.

"Ummmm, thanks Duncan. You too." There was an awkward pause as Veronica struggled to think of what to say next. Finally she asked, "What are you doing here?" She took a step back and put some distance between them as she said it.

Sensing her hesitancy he also took a step back and leaned against one of the tall filing cabinets. "I figured that when the FBI dismissed the kidnapping charges that I had you to thank for that. I moved back with Lily to Neptune as soon as I was cleared. I work with my Dad now."

"Yeah, I saw the media coverage. Unfortunately I had nothing to do with it," Veronica replied with a weak smile. Duncan returned her smile with a nod but didn't say anything else so Veronica added "I was actually asking about why you were here in my dad's office?"

"Oh, right." Duncan said with understanding. "I have a case I need him to look into."

Veronica looked at him quizzically for a second. Finally she said, "Doesn't Kane Software have an exclusive contract with Weidman Enterprises for their security and investigation services?"

"Technically yes; however, I'm not here on behalf of Kane Software. This is me personally asking for help." Veronica raised an eyebrow, indicating that she needed more to go on, so Duncan continued. "Clarence Weidman is my father's go to guy, not mine. I want Mars Investigations for this."

Veronica narrowed her eyes at Duncan "And what exactly is _this_? I have a feeling it isn't just performing a simple background check."

"It's nothing Keith can't handle. I will gladly fill him in on all the details when he takes the case," Duncan answered. Everything about Duncan, from the evenness of his voice to his nonchalant posture, indicated that there was nothing to worry about, but Veronica couldn't shake the bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.

"I don't know Duncan," she said slowly. "Things are so complicated between our families, I don't think Jake would take it well if he found out you hired us for whatever it is."

"Believe me when I say that it would be the least of his concerns. Can you at least pass the message onto your dad?" Duncan asked, giving Veronica the earnest look that he knew she could never resist in the past.

"I'll think about it," Veronica reluctantly agreed.

"Good. If he can take the case, have him meet me tonight. I'll be in suite 1601 at the Neptune Grand around 7." Duncan stepped forward again and gently grabbed each of Veronica's elbows. "It's really good to see you again, Veronica." He then gave her a swift peck on the cheek and turned around and left.

Veronica sunk back into her chair as soon as he was gone. She didn't like that Duncan held back on her when she asked about his case. Without further clarity she hesitated to put her Dad into a position within Jake Kane's crosshairs. If anyone from Mars Investigations was going to meet with Duncan at the Grand that night, it was going to be her. She just needed time to think about what answer she would give him.

Keith was trying to figure out how to balance the food order and open the door of the office building when Duncan approached from the other side to make his exit.

"Mr. Mars, let me get this for you." he said as he held the door open with his back.

"Thank you, I appreciate it, Duncan," Keith answered as he entered. Once through, he took only a few steps and turned to face Duncan. "How have you been? How's your daughter, Lily."

"We're both good," Duncan replied still holding the door open. "Lily is 15 going on 21, and of course as a single father I know nothing about what it's like to be a teenage girl."

"I like to tell you that it gets easier, but just wait until she starts bringing home boys," Keith joked. Having once been one of those boys Keith referred to, Duncan let out a nervous laugh. As the laughter died down, Keith cocked his head and asked "Did you need something, Duncan? You don't normally visit this part of town."

"Umm, no, Mr. Mars. I heard from Mac that Veronica was back so I thought I would stop by and say hi." Before Keith could ask another question, Duncan added, "It was nice seeing both of you. Unfortunately I have a one o'clock meeting with some investors. I better go before it's too late. Take care, Mr. Mars."

"You too, Duncan." Keith called out to the already retreating figure before heading up to the office

Veronica was just finishing a call when Keith entered. He waited for her to hang-up the receiver before speaking. "I just ran into Duncan downstairs. Did you see him?" Keith asked as he handed Veronica her order.

"Yeah," Veronica said quickly as she scribbled a message on a post-it and then handed it to her dad. "I guess he heard I was here and wanted to say hello."

"That's nice of him," Keith said. Although her story matched Duncan's, something about how she said it made Keith think there was more to it.

"So, did you guys talk about anything?" Veronica probed casually.

"Not really." Keith replied. "Mostly sympathized with him about the plight of raising a teenage daughter on his own."

Veronica furrowed her brow, "So he didn't want anything?"

Keith shook his head. "No, Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Veronica said a little too quickly, confirming Keith's suspicions. He waited for Veronica to fill him in on what really happened, but she just opened her salad and dug in, her eyes lost in thought. When Veronica was in high school, Keith would have warned her to stay out of any Kane business; but he knew that she rarely listened then and suspected that she wouldn't listen now. Instead, he picked up his sandwich and headed back to his desk. "Just let me know if you need me," he said as he sat down.

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone reading this story, especially to those of you who have followed/favorited/and commented. You have helped spur me on creatively as I write and review. I will post the next chapter on Monday. It brings back a character that many people have asked about and is one of my favorite chapters so far. Have a great weekend.**


	7. Chapter 6

Anyone who looked at the three men sitting at the bar table would swear that the man in the middle was a statue. The two men flanking him were animatedly talking at the same time, trying to get his attention, but he sat there still as a rock. The only sign that he wasn't actually made of marble was the glass of 25 year old scotch in his hand, the amber liquid was swirling around the base of the glass even though there was no was no visible sign of his wrist making any movement.

The day had been a total grind and the control he had over his temper was beginning to strain. Anything that could go wrong had: from a flood on the third floor after a guest's kid flushed one of his toys down the toilet to one of the main ballroom's air conditioning units crapping out during the middle of a conference; it had been one misery after another. The cherry on top had been his best friend canceling lunch without giving any reason why, that was until he spotted the petite blonde walk through the lobby doors and straight for the elevators. Suddenly Duncan's blowing him off made all the sense in the world.

Without a warning, Logan slammed his glass on the table, spilling the liquid but not cracking the glass. The action shocked his companions into silence. "You two are making it abundantly clear that I clearly don't know why I am paying you, but you better start earning that salary or you will find yourself in the unemployment line." Without another word, he stood up and stalked away from the table.

He managed to time his trip across the hotel's lobby to the elevator so he could squeeze through the elevator's doors and hit the "Door Close" button without giving the woman time enough to exit once she saw him. Logan languidly leaned against the back wall beside her and casually inspected his sleeves cuffs.

"My, my. If it isn't Veronica Mars," he commented.

Veronica stood stiffly, her hands in her pocket and her eyes looking straight ahead. "Great, two in one day," Veronica muttered to herself. She then gritted her teeth and returned his greeting, "Logan."

Logan looked over at Veronica who kept staring straight ahead. He could tell that she was trying hard to ignore his presence and that indifference was infuriating. Before he could stop himself he said, "Feels like old times, doesn't it. You visiting Duncan for a booty call." Logan watched the words register with her carefully. She narrowed her eyes and he could tell she was warring with herself about whether she should let it go or bite back. It was barely perceptible, but Logan didn't miss the moment she straightened up and got ready for a fight.

"And you hooking up with another man's wife?"

Logan felt like crowing but he held back. "Should I cancel? Are you offering?"

"Ha. Ha." Veronica said drolly, "You're still a comedian I see."

"And you're still tiny." Logan punctuated his statement by turning his head and looking directly down at Veronica.

"You are the expert on all things small." Veronica replied. She turned her head toward Logan and let her eyes drift briefly south before she turned her head back again.

"I've never gotten any complaints before. Not even from you" Logan replied with bravado.

"I was just being kind."

Logan let out a scoff. 'Kind' wasn't a word he really associated with Veronica anymore.

"Would you prefer if I said that I was faking it?" Veronica asked.

"I've heard you with the Donut. I know what you sound like when you're faking it, and that's not what you sounded like with me," Logan replied.

Veronica stepped forward and pushed the button for the sixteenth floor a couple of times. Logan smirked as he recognized that he was really getting under her skin. He was about to fire off another off-color comment when Veronica rounded on him and pushed him hard against the back of the elevator.

"Thanks to the FBI, I don't need a taser anymore to make a man fall on his knees and beg for mercy."

"If you need a taser to do that, you're not doing it right." Logan cut in, his words echoing from the past. Veronica let go of his shirt as if the memory of that exchange burned her hand.

"Oh, Mars. I've missed this witty repartee between us."

Logan waited for Veronica's sharp retort, but instead Veronica just said, "This will be easier for both of us if you just stay out of my way."

"Stay out of _your _way?!" Logan repeated derisively. "Do I have to remind you, **_Sugarpuss_**, that you were the one who dropped Hearst like a hot potato to go to your precious cop school. You turned your back on everyone here in Neptune. I stayed which means that this is _my_ town. This is _my_ hotel. _You_ stay out of _my_ way."

For a second Veronica looked taken aback, but Logan wasn't going to give her a chance to deny what he said.

"I don't care what you and the boy wonder do in that hotel suite when you get up there, but after tonight I recommend you take it to the Camelot down the street; because if you step foot into my hotel lobby again I will have security toss you out on your tight little ass."

Neither of them noticed that as he ranted, they had inched closer and closer together such that when he was done they were standing toe to toe and their faces were inches apart. Their eyes were locked on each other and the only movement either one of them made was the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed in and out.

Like at the end of a boxing match, the elevator bell rang signaling the two opponents that this round was over and they both stepped apart from one another. As soon as the doors opened, Veronica turned on her heel and stalked out.

As the doors began to slide shut, Logan realized that there was one more thing he wanted to say to Veronica. He forced both doors open with his hands, leaned out and yelled, "Go ahead Veronica, run away. You've always been so good at that."

**Author's Note - Thanks to everyone who is reading and following this story. Special thanks to everyone who left comments. I wish I could answer you questions and concerns directly, but I worry that would be giving too much away. Hopefully bringing Logan back makes up for Duncan's creepiness. My plan is to publish the next chapter on Thursday. See you then.**


	8. Chapter 7

The decision to leave Hearst and Neptune had been one of the easiest and yet hardest decisions that Veronica had ever made in her life. Originally she had fully intended to return to Neptune after her summer internship program with the FBI, but the moment she stepped onto the FBI facilities in Quantico, Virginia she knew that was where she needed to be. It was also clear to the powers that be that Veronica was someone they wanted on their team. Before the program was over, they extended her a permanent internship while she completed her criminal studies degree. The only wrinkle was that she needed to stay in the Washington DC area.

Keith was a big proponent for Veronica leaving, but Veronica wasn't sure she wanted to leave him all alone. The evidence tampering story came out at the perfect time to ensure that Keith wouldn't win the election for sheriff. Though disappointed, Keith pointed out to Veronica that he was able to do just as much to protect the community as a consultant to the county and collecting bail jumpers while earning more than he would as a public servant. Keith had also managed to "smooth things over" with Jake Kane who in turn got the county prosecutor to drop the charges of evidence tampering against Keith. Keith wouldn't tell Veronica what his exact agreement was with Kane; all he would tell her was "I'll miss ya kiddo, but I can't say that I'm not relieved that moving to DC puts distance between you and that family." Mac and Wallace also made it clear that she would be a fool not to jump at the opportunity and that if she stayed they would make sure that she wouldn't hear the end of it until she ran screaming back to DC.

The only person she hadn't consulted about the decision had been Logan. Her first weekend in Quantico, Veronica and some of the other interns ended up sneaking into a dive bar and getting totally trashed. When she returned to her dorm around 1 am, she drunkenly called up Mac and confessed everything that had happened between her and Logan the night before she left. While they never spoke about that night again, Mac had made it a point to update Veronica on how well Logan was doing that summer whenever they spoke. Veronica was of coursed pleased to hear the news, but it got her thinking about her and Logan as a couple: separate from one another - their lives ran smoothly and drama-free; put them together – somehow it felt like the probability that one or the other (or possibly both) would get killed increased exponentially. By the end of the summer she came to the conclusion that what was best was for them to stay apart. She knew that Logan would fight her on this if she told him, so she decided not to. Eventually Logan would have to accept the reality of the situation like she had and at least the last memory of them together would be that night in the hotel and not them fighting tooth and nail.

So Veronica stopped the moment when Logan voiced the accusation that she ran away. She turned around to glare at Logan while continuing toward the room by walking backyards. "I didn't run away. I ran to...," but Veronica's rebuttal was cut short by an explosion from the suite at the end of hall. The power of the explosion threw Veronica face first onto the ground, knocking the air out of her. Veronica gasped for air for a few seconds before she was able to take a breath, but that air was quickly being replaced with smoke and heat. As she began to get to her feet Logan ran past her. Veronica's emergency response training kicked in and she reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him back.

"What are you doing, Logan? The emergency stairs are the other way." Veronica yelled, every couple of words interrupted by a cough.

"Have to go find Duncan and Lily." Logan struggled out of Veronica's grasp and kept on running toward the suite. The door had been blown to pieces and fire was quickly spreading along the walls. Veronica wasn't going to let Logan to go in alone so she pulled her shirt collar over her mouth and nose to form a makeshift air filter. She spotted a fire alarm just a few feet away so she ran to it and pulled it down before she followed Logan into the fire.

Veronica caught up to him just as he entered the suite's living room. The room felt like an oven and Veronica was sure that her skin was beginning to blister. Fire had begun to spread to the furniture on the edge of the room. She began to frantically look around the room for the sign of a body, but the rapidly building smoke was making it impossible to even see her hand in front of her face.

"Duncan! Lily!" Logan cried out.

"I don't see anybody!" Veronica yelled over the roar of the flames

"Maybe the bedroom?" Logan made a beeline for the closed bedroom door. Veronica wanted to yell at him to stop, that there could be a backdraft; but before she could there was a second explosion. It blew the bedroom door off its hinges. Luckily the door and the fireball that followed it barely missed Logan, but the force of the explosion still knocked him down.

Veronica hurried over to Logan. "Come on, Logan! We have to get out before the room collapses on top of us!" she barked as she began to pull him up.

Logan tried swatting her away, "I'm ok," he yelled. Veronica backed off and Logan pushed himself off the floor. He then grabbed Veronica's hand and they ran out of the suite. Once they were in the hallway, they split apart and begun banging on doors to roost out any other people in their rooms as they made their way to the emergency stairs. As they climbed down the stairs they were joined by guests at every floor until finally they spilled out into the night air at the bottom. They didn't stop going forward until they had reached the sidewalk across the street. When they did stop, they both looked up and watched the flames spill out of the top suite's window as they gulped down fresh air.

Without looking away from the hotel, Logan finally broke the silence. "Back in my life for less than an hour and the top floor of my hotel explodes, possibly with one of my best friends and his daughter. Life is never dull with you Veronica Mars."

Veronica looked back at Logan. "I'm not back in your life," she replied a little too readily. Logan shrugged at her response, then he turned away from her and started walking to the group of people gathered down the block.

"Where are you going?" Veronica called after him, her voice hoarse from the smoke she had inhaled.

Logan stopped and came back to her. Veronica's breath caught as Logan raised his hand to her forehead and gently brushed away her hair before just resting it there. Her eyes locked onto his.

"For someone not in my life, you're sure curious to know what I'm doing?" he pointed out the irony behind her question. Veronica immediately looked away, unsure of how to respond. Logan let her off the hook though.

"I need to make sure my people made it out ok and find out what the hell happened." With one hand he brushed her hair out of her face and then leaned down to whisper in her ear, making Veronica flush at his closeness, "Go see a medic." He backed up and then removed his hand so he could give her an exaggerated salute, showing her that his fingers were now coated with her blood.

The intimacy of his touch made Veronica ponder what was stranger: the fact that a bomb had gone off in Duncan's suite or that Logan made her feel more rattled than the bomb. As Logan turned to go, Veronica reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait, I'm coming with you."

"Did you miss me pointing out that you are bleeding from your head?" Logan said incredulously.

"This," she said pointing to her head, "is just a superficial flesh wound. I've been through worse," she insisted. "Look, I know that the first thing you are going to do is look at the security tape with your head of security, and you know that sooner or later I am going to come to you and ask to see that same tape. So why don't we skip the whole exhaustive you saying no until I wear you down with my sunny personality and stunning good looks and you just let me watch the tape with you the first time."

Logan rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "How could I forget, I'm dealing with Vigilante Barbie." Without another word, he started walking off into the growing crowd. Veronica stood there waiting for his invitation to follow him, and sure enough after about 10 feet he looked back over his shoulder and yelled, "Are you coming or what?"

**Author's Note - How's that for a lead in to the Fourth of July? ****Thanks again to everyone who has given me feedback and thank you to all my new followers. I will be out of town for the long weekend so the next update will come when I get back on Monday.**


	9. Chapter 8

Looking around, Veronica could tell that Logan had trained his people well. His security team had already set up a makeshift headquarters outside and it looked like they were pulling up security footage on laptops normally only used by military personnel. Front desk and concierge staff all had iPads and were moving from one group of stunned guests to another, recording down if everyone had made it out safely and answering any questions, including fulfilling guests' requests to be booked into other hotels. The maintenance, housekeeping, and kitchen staffs were all gathered and performing head-counts - once again using iPads which Veronica assumed had pulled up staff assignments.

"I don't even know if I have seen a sting op better organized than this." Veronica commented.

"My head of security is a former Seals Team Six. He keeps us on our toes," Logan nonchalantly replied. Without a problem, he walked past a man built like a tank and into the area that security had cordoned off. Veronica, who was following directly behind him, was stopped when the man stepped in front of her.

"I'm sorry, you can't go back there Ma'am."

Veronica gave a little smirk, "I'm with him." She pointed at Logan and took a small step forward thinking that would get her through. When the guy didn't budge, Veronica's smirk turned into a frown. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small wallet.

"Look, I hate flashing this thing," Veronica flipped the wallet open, revealing her FBI badge.

This time it was the security guard scoffing. "You could be the President of the United States and I wouldn't let you through until I got a verbal or written say so from my boss."

Logan was already by a computer and pointing out which video camera feeds he wanted to see, but there was no disguising the chuckle he was having at Veronica's expense.

"Yeah, very funny. Logan, can you help me out here?" Veronica called out.

At first, Logan pretended to not hear Veronica's request, forcing her to wait. Finally he smirked, "Let her through, Jackson. She's with me."

Jackson didn't move for a moment and eyed Veronica skeptically, "You're pretty small for an agent."

Before Veronica had a chance to answer, Logan had grabbed her elbow and was pulling her into the security area. As he did so he called back to Jackson, "You want to be careful around Veronica. Her bite is way worse than her bark."

Veronica rolled her eyes as he led her back to the main computer. "What happened to you wanting my help?"

"I never said I wanted it," Logan pointed out. "I'm only allowing it since I know I can't stop you. Besides, what can I say? Even in the face of disaster I find amusement in people trying to put you in your place," Logan shrugged off her comment.

"Well, I'm glad you find the humor in this, considering that it's your hotel that is burning down," Veronica muttered.

Logan stopped in front of the computer and looked down at her, "Do you want to watch this tape or do you want to banter back and forth on how I always manage to fuck things up?"

Veronica opened her mouth to protest but quickly changed her mind. "Just roll the tape."

Logan was reaching to press the play on the computer's touch screen when Jackson interrupted him, "Boss, the Sheriff's here."

Logan stood up and his eyes rolled toward the sky as he uttered a silent expletive. "Let him through," he finally said through gritted teeth.

Veronica turned toward Jackson to see who, other than herself, could possibly elicit such a reaction from Logan. Her mouth fell open when she saw the brown clad form of Vinnie Van Lowe coming toward her. His hair was grayer than she remembered and he had developed a bit of a belly paunch, but overall he still looked like a royal tool he always was.

"They re-elected him?" she exclaimed in horror. She had remained ignorant of the ins and outs of Neptune politics when Keith had stopped talking about them years before, citing it raised his blood pressure.

"Last Sheriff, Dan Lamb, was busted with a sixteen year old hooker in a prostitution sting and Vinnie got Jake's support in the special election. Turns out having a spike in crime the first time you're sheriff still beats a masters in forensics when the person with the masters may have stolen and sold the Aaron Echolls/Lily Kane sex tape." Logan said quietly. Veronica immediately realized that Logan was talking about Leo De'Amato and Veronica frowned at the thought of Vinnie beating Leo in an election.

"Lilly would be loving that her death is still determining Neptune politics more than a decade later," Logan muttered before turning to one of his security officers to issue some last minute instructions before the sheriff took over. This left Veronica alone to greet her former P.I. frienemy.

Vinnie stopped in front of Veronica and took a second too look her up and down. He then used his fists to rub his eyes as if something had flown in them. He finally brought his hands down and exclaimed unconvincingly, "I can't believe my eyes. Has little Ronnie Mars returned to Neptune?"

Veronica pasted on a fake smile and replied, "Hello, Vinnie. I see you traded your Members-Only jacket for something more...polyestery."

A frown quickly flashed across Vinnie's face before he gave Veronica a smile just as fake as hers. "Technically you should be addressing me as Sheriff Van Lowe," he said.

"Oh, well if we're going by titles, you can call me Agent Mars, FBI." Veronica paused for dramatic effect before adding snarkily, "Do you wanna see my badge?"

Vinnie's smiled disappeared for a second as he thought about what she had said before it broke out again and he started to laugh. "You're funny..." Vinnie chuckled, pointing at her.

Veronica wasn't sure if Vinnie was joking around, but she played along as if he was. "You know me, I'm a funny girl," Veronica exclaimed, following it with a fake laugh. This got Vinnie to utter a bigger fake laugh. After about 20 seconds of going along with the exaggerated laughing Veronica let out a deep sigh and settled her face into a serious look. Gradually Vinnie's laughter faded until he was just looking at Veronica uncomfortably.

Before the situation could get weirder, Logan came over and stood next to Veronica, "Well Sheriff Van Lowe, imagine seeing you here. What can I do you for?" he asked as if nothing was wrong.

Vinnie looked away from Veronica and directly at Logan, "We heard that you were having problems at the hotel."

"You mean this?" Logan said, pointing at the fire raging behind him. "Would you believe me if I told you we were just remodeling?" Logan waited only beat before responding to his own question, "Of course you wouldn't. Well Sheriff, the truth is that there was an explosion in Duncan Kane's suite. My security team is preparing a copy of the security footage for your investigation, and once the fire department has done their job and it's safe to go in- you and your merry band of deputies can investigate to your heart's content – I'm guessing that'll take all of about 5 minutes."

The Sheriff squinted at Logan. "How do you know it was an explosion? Were you close to it when it happened?"

Logan turned toward Veronica. "Would you say we were near the blast?" he asked, trying to sound earnest although his annoyance to the question was clear. They were both covered in sweat and soot and their clothes were torn in various places. The trail of blood that Logan had pointed out earlier to Veronica had begun to dry. It would be difficult to believe that they hadn't been near the blast.

"Pretty Close." Veronica said in a very unassuming way. "Maybe this far?" she added holding her hands out like she was talking about the size of something she caught fishing.

"Why don't we just watch the video and see," Logan said, and before anyone could protest he pushed the play button on the touch screen.

The computer screen was split in half, with one half showing feed from the camera that was facing the elevator and the other half showing feed from the camera that faced the door to Duncan's suite. Logan's security guy had the video cued for the 24 hours before the explosion but had the footage run at 16x speed. Hotel guests and housekeeping ran up and down the halls and in and out of rooms. At one point, a man tripped, spilling the contents of a coffee cup all over the ground - almost as if it was the tape speed that caused him to fall and not bad luck. Someone from housekeeping quickly came and wiped up that mess. At the 6:30pm mark, Logan's man slowed down the tape to 2x speed. Duncan was seen getting off the elevator, carrying a bag of carry-out and headed toward his suite. 15 minutes later, a teenage girl who Veronica assumed to be Duncan's daughter emerged from the elevator and went toward the Kane suite. Veronica heard Logan take a deep breath which confirmed her suspicion. She disappeared into the suite for only 5 minutes of the tape before she emerged again, carrying a duffle bag. Duncan said goodbye to her at the door, giving her a kiss on the top of the forehead before he disappeared again behind the suite's doors. No one appeared on the tape again until 7:02 pm, when the elevator doors opened to reveal Logan and Veronica's face off. The security man slowed down the tape so it was going at real-time speed.

"He's still in the room," Logan said under his breath.

At that moment, Veronica felt all the adrenaline that had been pumping through her body since the first explosion leave her. She didn't need to see the rest of the tape. Veronica turned around and took a few steps back so she wasn't surrounded by so many people and she began to take deep breaths. After a minute, she finally had to say to herself, "This is just another crime scene." With that, she took one last deep breath, stood up straight, and returned to the group.

"The second explosion must have knocked out the video feed, there's nothing but static after that point," she overheard the security guy say. She glanced at Logan and saw his eyes emptily focused on the computer screen. Everyone was quiet for a moment until Vinnie cleared his throat.

"I'm going to need a copy of that tape as soon as it's available. And, ummm, I'm going to need to cuff you two and bring you in," Vinnie said. He motioned with his head to his deputies to restrain Logan and Veronica.

Before they could protest, the officers had pulled their arms behind their backs and started cuffing Veronica and Logan. "Seriously Vinnie. You're arresting a Federal officer and the owner of the hotel on the basis of circumstantial evidence at best! The Federal DA is going to have a field day with this," Veronica huffed. Though vocal over her displeasure, she didn't physically try to resist arrest.

Like Veronica, Logan complied with the deputies who were placing the cuffs on his hands, but his body had gone rigid and his eyes looked like they could kill. "Call my lawyer," Logan instructed his employees before the Sheriff and his deputies led them away.

Veronica could feel the eyes of everyone on them as she and Logan were escorted to the waiting police cars, but she continued to look straight ahead. It wasn't until they got to the car and the officer was tilting Veronica's head so she could sit down in the back seat without bumping her head on the door frame that she met anybody's eyes. To her surprise that person was Weevil. He was the only one standing beyond the police tape who kept their entire focus on the cop cars and not alternating between the drama with the cops and the burning building. As the officer closed the door, Veronica saw Weevil pull the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and melt away into the crowd. Veronica quickly turned to look over her shoulder at Logan in the car behind hers. Logan's eyes were shut and he was facing straight ahead; it was very unlikely that he had seen Weevil in the crowd. Veronica settled back into the seat and made a note to herself to ask Wallace where she could find her favorite former PCHer.

* * *

**Author's Note - You may have noticed some crude language (as my mother calls it) in this chapter. While I have limited my use of it, I have left some in the story (here and in some future chapters) because it fits the tone of the story. I am still keeping the rating at T. I figure if the movie can use these words sparingly and have a PG-13 rating, I can keep this story at a T rating.**

**Also thank you to everyone who has followed and submitted reviews since my last update. I try to personally answer all comments and reviews. If you have any questions you want to ask me, please feel free to leave them in the review section or PM me. I will try to answer without giving the story away. But I am reading and LOVING all your reviews.**

**Next update will be Thursday. ****Have a great week.**


	10. Chapter 9

Unfortunately for Veronica the deputy driving the car was a member of the class two years below hers at Neptune High and back in the day was quite a fan of the notorious Veronica Mars. When he wasn't re-hashing her high school greatest hits, he was filling her in on all the changes that had taken place in the Balboa County Sheriff Department since she had left. He kept yammering away through the entire booking process and Veronica more than once had to bite her tongue and not ask him to shut up. It was a relief when she was finally placed behind bars and he had to leave her with a more laconic deputy to watch over her. A few minutes later Logan was escorted into the cell beside hers. They were the only ones in either of their cells.

Veronica sat on a bench in the front of her lockup with her knees pulled to her chest and her head resting on them. Her back was against the concrete wall that separated her cell from Logan's, but she could tell from a steady shuffling sound that Logan was wearing down a path in his. She tried to block out the sound, but it just wouldn't go away.

"You know Logan, the first thing they teach you in interrogation techniques is that the guilty party always pace." Veronica finally threw out into space. Her ears picked up on Logan taking a couple more steps before the tell-tale sound of Logan plopping down on the bench on the other side of the wall. Veronica looked up to the ceiling and mouthed "Thank you."

"That's seriously the shit they taught you at your fancy spook school. No wonder it took so long to find Bin Laden."

Veronica rolled her eyes and sighed. "One- spooks are spies. That's more CIA and NSA, not the FBI. At the Bureau, we prefer the term agents. Two- no, that's not the shit they teach us. Who do think instructs us? Scooby Doo? I just told you that because I need you to stop pacing before I go insane and bash my head in on the wall."

For a moment they both sat in silence but then there came a chuckle from Logan's cell.

"What's so funny?" Veronica asked.

"Just this. Feels like old times being behind bars and you lecturing me from the other side," Logan replied, eliciting a small smile from Veronica. "Although, this is the first time you were behind the bars as well...you always seemed to get away with everything."

"Not every time," Veronica laughed. "Remember when Lamb arrested me for aiding a prison break through cookies."

"Right, how could I forget?" Logan said. "I may still have that picture somewhere. What did you bake in them anyways, a file?" Logan asked.

"Nope, just peanut butter," she answered. This earned laughs from both of them. "At least Lamb usually had a flimsy reason to lock us up, it wasn't _just_ incompetence," she finally sighed.

Silence took over again for a few minutes and then Veronica heard Logan stand up and lean against the wall. "Do you think he made it out?" he asked, his voice reminding Veronica of someone wanting to find out if their loved one was going to make it through surgery.

"I hope he did," she said trying to sound comforting, but it didn't even come out convincing to herself.

"But you don't think he did?" Logan called her bluff.

Veronica turned her head so her cheek was resting against the wall and her voice could be better heard by Logan. "If I was an agent working this case...I would be telling his family members that it would be highly unlikely and they may want to consider making final arrangements," she was brutally honest, but then she softened her voice and added, "But this is Duncan Kane we're talking about. This wouldn't be his first successful disappearing act."

"Right," Logan said. For a moment the two of them sat in a comfortable quiet.

"Of course he's not the only one good at disappearing," Logan broke the silence, the tension back in his voice.

Veronica narrowed her eyes, "Here we go again," Veronica muttered just loud enough for Logan to hear it.

"Well, if the shoe fits..." he replied bitterly.

"For the last time, I didn't disappear," she sighed exasperatedly.

"No you just left and made your friends do the dirty part of telling me." Logan took an angry pause before saying, "You should have just stayed gone, Veronica."

"Consider me gone then. I didn't return to Neptune to get involved in yours and Duncan's bullshit." Veronica said, resting her head back on her knees.

"I'm afraid, Veronica, that isn't going to be an option," a new voice entered their conversation.

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**Author's Note - Sorry this chapter is a bit later than I promised. This last week some real world stuff emerged that is requiring a lot of my attention these days. The good news is that I have more chapters written so I will be able to continue the updates, but the bad news is that I may have to space my updates out more so I don't run out before I get back to a place where I can do some serious writing. Thanks again for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. I really appreciate each and every one of them.**


	11. Chapter 10

Veronica's head shot back up as she recognized the distinctive baritone. "Cliff, I am so glad to see you, but how did you know I was here?" Veronica asked.

"I was in the middle of a night cap with Candy at the Seven Veils when I get a call from an ape saying that there's been an explosion at the Neptune Grand and that Mr. Echolls and some smart ass blonde have been dragged down to lock up. I probably have you to thank for this diversification of my client base, Veronica. For some reason several '09er progeny, including Logan here, think it's better to trust me, a lowly defense attorney, with all their personal legal issues instead of the $10,000 a day suits their parents pay." Cliff explained as he pulled up a metal chair that had been sitting against the wall and positioned it so he was sitting right in between the two cells.

"It's about time you got here. Any more time with the ice princess here and you might have had to represent me on actual murder charges," Logan greeted his lawyer.

"I had to grab some paper work," Cliff said as he lifted his briefcase to his lap, opened it up, and pulled out a document. "Here's the good news. First, the Sherriff's Department has located Lily Kane. She was at a friend's house and not at the hotel at the time of the explosion." Logan gave a sigh of relief at this news. "The second is that you are both being released. You were never serious suspects, but the Sheriff didn't want either of you around while he investigated."

"Imagine that," Veronica said before adding. "Thank you Cliff."

"Don't thank anyone yet," Cliff cautioned her.

Cliff lifted up the document that he pulled out of his briefcase. "This is a Deed of Temporary Guardianship of Lily Kane, which Duncan recently updated. In the event that he is unable to take care of his daughter himself, this document outlines who is appointed temporary guardianship of Lily and stewardship of her portion of the Kane estate until he is able to resume those responsibilities or he is officially declared dead, which at that point this document is replaced by his Last Will and Testament."

"Cliff! Is there a point to this story? I have to get back to my hotel and assess the damages," Logan interjected.

Cliff ignored his client's impatience and continued on. "Normally in the state of California guardianship goes to the next of kin, which in this case would be Jake Kane. However my client has chosen to go in another direction. Duncan has named you two as temporary co-guardians," Cliff answered.

Logan and Veronica both stared at Cliff with their mouths open. Logan, who had been standing suddenly sat down again on the bench in his cell and started to run his fingers through his hair nervously. Cliff sat quietly, letting the two absorb what he just said.

"But Logan and I…I don't even live…why?" Veronica was the first one to speak.

"While Logan is currently an upstanding citizen of Neptune, no court is going to let someone with Mr. Echolls' dubious background be the sole guardian of a teenage girl. And Veronica, while the courts would find you a much more suitable caretaker, that document you signed in high school - against my advisement I might add – forbids you from any claim on the Kane estate, including managing the estate as it pertains to the guardianship of Lily. Naming you two as co-guardians was the only legal option he had to make sure that Lily got to stay with either of you."

Cliff paused for a moment to allow one of them to ask a question. When neither of them volunteered anything, he started up again, "I can guarantee that Jake Kane will use all the tools at his disposal to overturn this, including the courts who are going to want to see Lily living in a happy family-like environment. I strongly recommend that you find a place where all 3 of you can live together that isn't a bombed out hotel. You need to make sure she gets fed, clothed, goes to school, and stays out of trouble; and for god's sake, try to get along with each other. If the courts don't like what they see, they'll put her in the system and it'll only be a matter of seconds before Jake has control of her then."

Even though Cliff hadn't really asked a question, Veronica felt like he was asking for their confirmation of the arrangement. Despite her misgivings, Veronica nodded her head in acceptance and assumed that Logan had done something similar because Cliff gave a signal to the deputy to open their cells. It took only a minute for him to open the cells and for Logan and Veronica to step out. The two of them took a quick look at one another before they silently followed the deputy out.

"On the bright side, they haven't found a body yet which means that he might have gotten out. This could be a temporary arrangement," Cliff said following behind them.

They hadn't even left the holding area before they heard Jake Kane yelling. "What do you mean you can't tell me where my granddaughter is? I'm the only family she has left. I came to take her home."

"I'm, uh, sorry Mr. Kane," Vinnie said in an effort to calm the raging billionaire, but his words' intentions were countered by the pained look on his face. It was clear that Vinnie would rather have his knee cap blown off than have to deny his top campaign donor's request. "I, uhhhhh, I, uh, legally I can only release her to the guardian her father, umm, designated, or to, uhhh, state social services." Vinnie had wisely stayed behind the counter that separated the Sheriff Department staff from the general public while he said this to Jake. The only way through to him was jumping over the counter or be escorted through the side door in handcuffs.

"Well of course my son designated me as his daughter's guardian!" Jake bellowed.

"That's my cue," Cliff said with a wink. He tossed a set of keys to Logan, who barely caught them, adding "Logan, your guys left a car for you in back. A deputy will bring you to Lily. I'll check in on you two later, try not to kill each other before then."

Both Veronica and Logan stopped to watch Cliff join Vinnie who looked relieved that someone had come to rescue him from Jake.

"Cliff McCormack. I'm your son's lawyer. Could we talk for a moment over there?" Cliff introduced himself and pointed over to a spot on Jake's side of the counter. Jake nodded and Cliff went through the side door and joined him.

The deputy who would escort them to Lily indicated that he wanted them to follow him out. Logan went on ahead, but Veronica felt bolted to ground as she watched Cliff explain the situation to Jake Kane. Not much had changed with Jake over the years. His hair had turned more grey than brown and his face looked a bit more haunted, but he still carried himself as the king of Neptune. Clarence Weidman still stood by his side, looking as cool, collected, and deadly as always in his sports coat and fedora. It was Clarence who first looked up and noticed Veronica staring at the group, but he didn't say anything. A second later, Jake's head swiveled around and for the first time in over a decade his eyes locked with Veronica's. For a moment, it felt like all the air and sound was sucked out of the room as they stared each other down. Then all chaos broke loose as Jake Kane lunged over the counter and went for Vinnie's gun.

"You BITCH!" Jake yelled.

Vinnie jumped back and managed to fall over a desk behind him. By instinct, Veronica's right hand flew to her waist where she usually kept her piece, only to remember that she wasn't on duty. Fortunately Clarence Weidman grabbed Jake by the shoulders and managed to pull him back and subdue him.

At the sound of the commotion, Logan and the deputy had returned to Veronica's side. At the sight of Logan next to Veronica, Jake went ballistic again.

"Logan, you no good bastard! You two destroyed my family. I am going to destroy you and everyone you love, even if it's the last thing I do!" Jake hollered.

Veronica took a step forward and replied calmly, "I'm pretty sure you destroyed your family on your own the minute you paid Abel Koonz to take the fall for Lilly's murder." Then her voice took on a more lethal tone, "And if you thought that I was a pain in the ass in high school, just try messing with me and my family now."

Before Veronica or Jake could escalate the situation any further, Logan grabbed Veronica roughly by the elbow and pulled her towards the back exits. "Just let it go, Veronica. He's not worth it," he said.

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have a family he can come after," she replied indignantly as he dragged her away. However the moment the words left her mouth she realized what a mistake they were.

"Thanks for the reminder," Logan hissed before jerking her into an empty office and shutting its door.

"I'm sorry Logan, I shouldn..." Veronica began but Logan stopped her by holding up his hand.

"For your information, Duncan and Lily are my family. That means right now I don't give a shit what Jake Kane thinks or how much of a bitch you can be because it won't help me take care of Duncan's little girl. But for all our sakes, I am going to try to be civil to you while we figure out this fucked up arrangement Duncan's thrown us into. Do you think you could do the same?"

Veronica nodded but didn't say anything.

"Good," Logan said. He then took his keys and handed them Veronica. "After we tell her what's happened, you are driving us to wherever you're staying and you two will stay the night there while I take care of things at the hotel," Logan took charge of the situation.

Veronica raised one eyebrow, "My father's house isn't big enough to add all three of us. Don't you have any other property in Neptune where we can stay."

"I have a place but it's not really ready for guests. I'll have my people get it ready by tomorrow night, but your dad's is going to have to do for now." He didn't wait for Veronica to agree before he opened the office door and headed out, leaving Veronica to hurry after him.

* * *

**Author's Note - Thanks to all my followers and everyone who supplied comments. I'm sorry if I didn't get a chance to personally respond to them. My attention is currently focused on finding a new apartment and all that entails. It hasn't left a lot of time for me to come here (which I would much rather do). I'm sorry that the last section was so short. Hopefully this longer part makes up for it. Actually many of the upcoming parts are getting longer, which is good. I'll try to post again on Sunday or Monday. Take care everyone.**


	12. Chapter 11

The only voice in the car as they drove to Lily's location was the GPS device, not that it was necessary with the deputy escort ahead of them. Veronica kept her eyes straight ahead on the flashing lights of the deputy's car to avoid looking at Logan. After ten minutes of silence, they pulled up in front of their destination on the western edge of the '09. It was a brick, French-Country style house which by its size Veronica estimated had 3, maybe 4 bedrooms - quite modest for a home in the '09 zip code. The front light by the door was already on, indicating that someone already knew they were coming.

Veronica parked the car and turned off the engine before turning to Logan and saying, "Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this whole idea is crazy."

Logan opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but shut it again before looking out his window.

"What is it, Logan?"

Logan turned back to Veronica, "I don't know why the hell Duncan thought the two of us working together would be a good idea, but I have no problem understanding why he wouldn't want Lily to stay with Jake."

Veronica cocked her head in way that told Logan to spill it.

"When Duncan moved back, he and Lily went to live with Celeste and Jake. They had remarried and Duncan thought it best if Celeste was surrounded by family before she passed away. It was good for awhile, but then Jake started to treat Duncan like he did in high school."

"Like what? You're going to have to be more specific."

"Don't you remember what Jake was like back then?" Logan asked.

"Last time I saw Jake he seemed to be one bottle of pee away from becoming Howard Hughes the hermit," Veronica replied.

Logan grimaced at that image before explaining, "Right, that was before he got back together with Celeste. When Jake wasn't taking care of Celeste, he was pushing DK to be perfect just like him. He told Duncan what job he should have, what friends he should hang out with, and what women he should date. I'm sure you can guess that Jake wasn't happy when DK started hanging out with me and Dick again. Anyways, Duncan put up with most of it; I think to keep the peace around Celeste, but also to shield Lily from Jake's attention. About two months ago, right after Celeste died, Duncan came to me and asked for the suite at the Grand. Said he didn't want to be a burden on Jake any longer and was planning on building his own house; but if you ask me, with Celeste gone he didn't want Jake to shift his energy from taking care of her to controlling Lily."

"So basically we're the lesser of two evils," Veronica summed it up.

Logan looked straight ahead, "Yeah, Veronica. I guess if you want to look at it in a glass half empty kinda way, yeah, we are."

They both took a moment to contemplate what they were about to do. Finally with a sigh Logan said, "I should be the one to tell her."

Veronica nodded in agreement before adding, "Maybe I should stay in the car. She won't remember who I am and a stranger's presence will probably just make it more upsetting for her."

"Fine," Logan replied and without another word he got out of his SUV and made his way up the walk to the front door. Veronica watched as he was greeted by the worried looking parents of Lily's friend. They had obviously been woken up because they were both in pajamas covered by robes. Logan glanced back quickly at Veronica before he stepped into the house, closing the door behind him.

Veronica let out a breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding since Logan had exited the car. "What the hell did you get us all into, Duncan?" she muttered before she rested her head on the steering wheel so she could think about the events of the evening.

She wasn't sure how long her head had been down when she heard the tap on the window. She lifted her head to find the man in the bathrobe right outside her door. When he saw that he had her attention he lifted up one of his hands and gestured that he wanted Veronica to roll down her window. It took a few seconds for Veronica to locate the button that worked the window, but she finally found it and pushed it so that her window started rolling down. She had barely lifted her finger from the button when he stuck his hand through the window for a handshake.

"Malcolm Fuller. Father of Katie, Lily's best friend."

Veronica carefully took his hand and shook it. "Veronica Mars," she said, hoping that her brevity would make it clear that she wasn't really wanting conversation.

Mr. Fuller frowned. "Mars? As in the private investigator?" he asked hesitantly.

"That would be my father. Is there something wrong?" Veronica answered.

He gave his head a quick shake no, but then asked "No, but do you mind if I verify your identity with the deputy?"

"Go ahead," Veronica agreed. Veronica's eyes trailed him as he made his way to the deputy's car. She noticed that he was carrying a duffle bag – the same bag that Lily had been carrying in the Neptune Grand's security footage. When Mr. Fuller leaned over the deputy's car window Veronica didn't need to be a master lip reader to make out his question to the deputy "Who is she?" She saw the deputy turn back around and look at her car so she gave him a small wave. Whatever the deputy said next must have satisfied Mr. Fuller because he turned back around and headed back for Logan's car.

"Sorry about that," he apologized when he got back to her window. "We don't want a journalist trying to get the latest scoop or worst yet the people responsible for the explosion to get a hold of Lily. We of course recognize Logan Echolls' from the community and from all that Lily says about him, but we've never heard of you before."

"I'm sure that Lily is like a second daughter to you, of course you want to be careful of who you release her to," Veronica replied.

"Well, it'll be a few minutes. Lily took the news pretty hard so Katie's trying to comfort her in the bathroom, although I don't think there is much any of us can do."

Veronica only gave a weak smile in agreement, leaving an awkward silence between them. She waited for him to ask to put the bag in back but he just stood there. When he did speak, it wasn't anything she anticipated he would say.

"So I bet when you two started dating you didn't anticipate parenting a teenager together so soon."

"Oh, Logan and I, we're not a couple." Veronica blurted out before she could stop herself. She could see the confusion on his face so she quickly thought of a way to cover up her gaff. "We're just really old friends. Growing up we were best friends with Duncan and his late sister. Duncan thought it might be easier if we did this together instead of one of us going it alone."

Silence overtook them again as Malcolm thought about what she had said. Rather than waiting for him to ask her another question, Veronica chose to redirect him.

"The back door is unlocked. You can just drop Lily's bag on the back seat."

"Oh, right," he mumbled as if reminding himself. He opened the back door and deposited the bag in back. After he shut the door, he placed a hand on the edge of the open driver's side window. "It was nice meeting you Veronica. I'm sure we'll be seeing you around." He emphasized his statement with two slaps against the door before he headed back to the house.

The moment Mr. Fuller had closed the front door Veronica closed her eyes again and willed it all to be just a dream.

What felt like just seconds later but was probably at least five minutes, the back passenger door opened and Logan and Lily climbed into the car. As soon as they were both seated, Lily curled up into Logan's arm and buried her face in his shirt. Tiny sobs emerged muffled from Lily's body as Logan soothed her back. Sensing that any major movement or sound on her part would shatter the undoubtedly fragile peace Logan had achieved with Lily, Veronica raised her eyes to her rear view mirror. Without a word, Logan shifted his gaze to meet Veronica's in the mirror and gave her a barely perceptible nod that told Veronica that it was time to go.

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**Author's Note - Thank you to everybody who is following along with this story and providing me comments. You guys have been wicked encouraging and really did cheer me up when I was feeling down. I was also pleased to see so many new readers this week. So the good news is that I signed a lease on a new place today, which means I can shift focus away from stress and back to writing (at least when I'm not packing). Chapter 12 will hopefully go up on Thursday or Friday.**


	13. Chapter 12

Ten minutes later Veronica pulled the car up to the curb in front of her dad's house. The drive had felt stifled with no sound other than Lily's tears. Without waiting for permission, Veronica got out of the car and grabbed Lily's bag from the back seat before heading for the house, leaving Logan the responsibility to bring in Lily. She had barely started fumbling for the front door key when it was yanked open by Keith.

"Where the hell have you been?" he bellowed in half anger, half concern before he embraced her in a bear hug. Lily's bag was wedged uncomfortably between them, but Keith didn't seem to notice.

"We got a cryptic call from Cliff hours ago saying you were fine and then we turned on the news and find out Duncan Kane's hotel room exploded and he's missing," he said before pulling away. He kept his hands on her shoulder so that he could make her look him directly in the eye. "Don't scare your old man like that again." he said as he released her.

"I'll try not to," Veronica said, dropping the bag on the ground so she could add her own gentle hug. She hoped that it would distract her dad from the fact that she didn't fully commit to the promise.

At that point Carla came up behind Keith and gently tugged at his shoulder to indicate that he should get out of the door. "We're glad you're safe Veronica. Let's get you..." she began before her words trailed off and her eyes drifted to something behind Veronica. Keith's eyes followed Carla's gaze which was resting on Logan who was supporting a shell shocked Lily.

Keith narrowed his eyes as he said, "Logan?" His voice was a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

"Mr. Mars." Logan acknowledged. "Sorry to break up this touching family reunion, but I think we need to get her into bed before she passes out."

Without hesitating, Carla took Lily's other side and said, "We'll put her in Veronica's room tonight."

Keith stepped out of the way as Carla escorted Logan and Lily to the guest room Veronica had been calling home for the past week. He fixed his eyes on Veronica and arched his eyebrow in a wordless request for explanation. Veronica struggled for a few moments trying to figure out what would be the best thing to say before finally settling on, "That's Lily Kane." Without waiting for a response, Veronica turned and headed for the kitchen.

"I know who Lily Kane is," Keith said as he trailed after her, his tone clear that what he really wanted to know why was Lily Kane in their house. Veronica had already reached the refrigerator and grabbed a bottled water. She ignored the implied question and instead opened the freezer to root around for an ice pack.

When she didn't answer, Keith decided to be more direct. "Veronica, what is going on here? It's been a long night and I'm a little confused as to why your ex-boyfriend is tucking the daughter of your other ex-boyfriend into your bed?"

"You said it yourself, Dad. No one knows where Duncan is," Veronica replied from behind the freezer door. She finally gave up looking for an ice pack and grabbed a bag of frozen peas before shutting the freezer door emphatically. She raised the bag to her forehead where she had been cut earlier and made a small sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

"I know I've been out of law enforcement for awhile, Honey, but if I remember correctly, shouldn't the Sheriff be sending her home with Jake since he's her next of kin?" Keith replied.

"Not if her father designated other legal guardians," Veronica muttered.

"Duncan named you legal guardian?" Keith asked hesitantly.

"Co-guardian," she corrected him. "With Logan." She lifted one eyelid open so she could watch her father process what she said.

Keith opened his mouth to say something, but struggled with finding the right words. He finally crossed both his hands in front of his body as he did when he was concerned and then asked, "What does Jake Kane think about this?"

"Judging by his reaction at the Sheriff's Department, he's pleased as punch," Veronica deadpanned.

Without warning, Keith slapped his hand on the counter, causing Veronica to flinch. "Damnit Veronica, this is serious!"

"Do you see me laughing, Dad?" she replied, punctuating her statement by tossing the bag of peas followed by Logan's keys onto the counter. She crossed her arms in front of her and returned the angry stare Keith was giving her. The two of them remained like this for several moments.

Keith finally broke the silence. "Just tell me Veronica, did you know that something was going to happen to Duncan?" he said with his voice tense but steady.

"Of course not. We don't even know if Duncan was the target." Veronica pointed out, then she paused as she thought about the question. "Wait, are you asking if I planned this with Duncan just to piss off Jake?"

"You've _barely_ been home for a week and you're _suddenly_ in charge of Jake's only grand-daughter. Even you have to admit, kiddo, you turned revenge into an art form back in the day," Keith replied.

Veronica went on the defense, "This afternoon was the first time I've seen or spoken to Duncan since he disappeared our senior year of high school. And no, in the whole 5 minutes we talked we did not plan a grand revenge scheme against Jake Kane. I don't know why he appointed me as guardian; maybe you should go ask your BFF Clifford – he's the one who wrote up the papers."

It was like Keith hadn't heard anything Veronica said because he then muttered, "I had hoped that being so far away from here that maybe you had grown out of your grudge against Jake"

"I'm not the one with the grudge," Veronica said, her voice not sounding very convincing.

Keith raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Last time you lived here you broke into his house and stole the hard drive of his computer," Keith confronted her.

"That technically had nothing to do with him – I didn't even know it was his house. Besides, he got the hard drive back." Veronica attempted to set the story straight without going into details about why she had been there.

"That's not the point, Veronica. My point is why do you always have to go after Jake Kane?" Keith said exasperatedly.

As their argument progressed, their voices had been getting louder and louder. Veronica paused to take a deep breath, and then in a controlled but angry voice said, "The only reason I was there was because Duncan told me he wanted to hire MI for a case; but when you said you ran into him and he didn't say anything to you about that, I decided that I was going to tell him no deal." Veronica gave a tight smile before looking past him "Do you really believe that after all the pain I went through when Mom left that I would find no problem inflicting that pain on someone else just to see Jake Kane squirm?" Veronica's voice cracked slightly at the end of her question.

"Sometimes I don't know," Keith said bitterly before he could stop himself. For a brief moment, Veronica looked like Keith had physically slapped her. He immediately regretted saying it. "Veronica, that's not what I…," Keith began to apologize, but Veronica held up a hand to stop him. She grabbed her water bottle and headed out the kitchen.

"I'll be in the shower," Veronica muttered as she passed Keith, indicating that she was done with this conversation.

Just as she reached the kitchen doorway, Logan and Carla arrived. It didn't take them more than a second to figure out that something was wrong. "Veronica?" Logan said, hoping that she would stop, but Veronica just threw up a hand and kept going.

Quietly Carla walked over to Keith and placed her hand on Keith's shoulder. "What happened, Sweetie?"

Keith grimaced and swept one hand over his scalp as if he still had hair. "I'm just a horrible father, that's all," he told her.

Carla reached down for Keith's other hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure Veronica doesn't think that. She just needs some time to herself."

Keith gave her a skeptical look and then said, "I basically just accused her of plotting an explosion in order to get back at Jake Kane."

Logan took this moment to clear his throat, reminding the couple he was still there. Then he added, "I would have the same thought too if I hadn't been there myself." For a few moments, the three adults stood in silence. Finally Logan said, "But I'm pretty sure she didn't know what was going to happen. She didn't even hesitate when approaching Duncan's suite. If we hadn't been arguing, she would have been caught in the explosion."

Keith let out a sigh and reluctantly said, "Thank you, Logan."

Before they could lapse into another silence Logan said, "I didn't get a chance to give Veronica my contact information. I really need to get back to the hotel. Can I leave it with you and maybe get her cell number?"

"Of 'll give you our number too," Carla said. She grabbed a notepad beside the phone and handed it to Keith. Keith grimaced but began to write down their numbers and then tore the page. Meanwhile Logan took out his wallet and pulled out a business card. He felt for a pen in his shirt pocket only to realize that his pen was in an evidence bag on the front seat of his car, but Carla had already grabbed a pen from the counter and was holding it out for Logan. Logan took the pen and quickly scribbled a number on the back. When he was done, he handed the card and pen back to Carla who then had to nudge Keith to get him to hand over the piece of paper with Veronica's and their numbers.

"Veronica's number is on top," Keith grumbled.

"Thanks." Logan said as he slipped the paper into his shirt pocket. Logan then reached down to feel for something in his pants' pocket. When he didn't find them he muttered "oh shit," under his breath.

Having an inkling as to what Logan was looking for, Keith glanced over at the keys Veronica tossed on the counter earlier. For the first time he realized that the keys weren't for the car Veronica had borrowed. Keith picked them up and then held them up for Logan. "Yours?" he asked.

Logan looked up and relief came over his face. He took the keys from Keith and said, "Thanks again." He paused and looked like he was going to say something but then changed his mind. Instead he just said "Good night," before heading out.

Keith watched the younger man turn and leave, his mind trying to digest all that had happened. After the front door had closed, Keith looked at his wife and begun to say something, but Carla just padded his arm comfortingly and said, "Let's go to sleep, Honey. You can talk to Veronica about it in the morning."

* * *

**Author's Note - Thanks again to everyone tuning in to this story. The next handful of chapters are going to be a little light on the mystery as we begin to see the transition of Veronica's, Logan's, and Lily's new nuclear unit. We will also get to meet some new characters. Thanks again for the reviews and welcome to all my new followers. I'll post the next chapter Monday or Tuesday. **


	14. Chapter 13

Veronica wasn't sure what came first, the giggling or the feeling that she was being watched. She began to twist her body around in hope to discourage whoever it was, but the soreness of her muscles stopped her. With a groan, Veronica opened her eyes and found herself staring directly into the chocolate eyes of her little brother.

"Morning, sleepyhead. I'm going to have Cheerios. What happened to your face?" Jaime strung together in stream of consciousness like only a five year old could.

"Wha?" Veronica could only get out.

"Jaime, Bud, come eat breakfast and leave your sister alone." Veronica heard her Dad say, followed by "Coffee in five."

Veronica thought about closing her eyes for those five minutes, but she still felt like she was being watched. She lifted her eyelids again and finally found the source. Lily was standing at the end of the couch, arms folded, just staring at Veronica.

"Morning," Veronica managed to mumble.

Lily didn't return the greeting. Instead she just said, "You're Veronica Mars?"

Veronica had barely begun to push herself up by her elbows when her muscles seized up in pain. Veronica gritted her teeth to help her get through the pain and continued to sit up until her feet were on the floor. Letting out the breath she had been holding in, Veronica finally replied, "That's what my parents named me." The second she closed her mouth she winced, realizing how bitchy that must have sounded.

Lily gave a small hrmph before she casually tossed out, "I have an English exam first period."

"You know, I think your teachers will understand if you aren't in class today," Veronica replied, followed by a yawn.

Lily folded her arms over her chest and cocked her hip defiantly. In the flattest tone possible she said, "I already studied for it with Katie; I might as well take the stupid test. Maybe I should just call Uncle Logan and get a ride from him."

Veronica sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to alert Logan that she couldn't handle Lily. "That won't be necessary, I'll be ready in ten minutes." Veronica closed her eyes as she yawned once more, adding a stretch to release the tension in her back at the end. When she opened up her eyes again, she saw Lily still standing before her, just watching her. Veronica took a minute to really look at Lily. She had a strong resemblance to her dad, from her wavy brownish-blonde hair to the privileged look of her face that defined all members of the Kane family; but instead of Duncan's icy blue eyes she had the warm-brown doe eyes that made Meg so approachable. Veronica was surprised that with the exception of a little puffiness around the eyes from crying, Lily showed no evidence that her world had been turned upside down the night before.

"Is there something else you need?" Veronica asked, trying to sound friendlier than her sleep deprived state wanted her to be.

"No," Lily said bluntly. "I just thought that from how my Dad always talked about you that you'd be…bigger."

And apparently she was sassy just like her namesake. Before Veronica could reply, Lily turned around and stalked her way back to the kitchen. With a sigh of frustration, Veronica leaned back into the couch and shut her eyes, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep. Less than a minute later Veronica felt the sofa cushion next to her dip as someone sat down.

"It's not as easy as it looks, is it?" Keith's question came out more like a statement.

Veronica opened her eyes and turned her head toward her father.

"Dad, I can't do the father-knows-best riff this morning." Veronica said resignedly as thoughts of the previous night's blow-out swirled in her head.

Keith nodded before saying, "That's fine because this is more of a sorry-I-overreacted thing."

Veronica straightened up and opened her mouth, but Keith cut her off.

"The only thought I've had since Cliff called last night is that I keep failing when it comes to protecting you."

"You haven't failed, Dad. I'm still here, aren't I?" Veronica pointed out.

"A couple of times have been hit or miss," Keith admitted, eliciting a small chuckle out of his daughter. When she was done, Keith continued, "Look, despite what I said last night, I know you didn't come home just to get swept back into the middle of Kane business; but now that you are, I just want you to promise me that you'll be careful."

"I always am; besides I've dealt with Jake before, I can handle him again." Veronica replied.

"Not that he's ever been a saint, but he's no longer that guy who gets what he wants just by throwing political fundraisers and golf tournaments," Keith said in a hushed voice so Lily wouldn't hear him.

"And I'm no longer that teen solving mysteries out of the girls' bathroom." Veronica countered. "I get it Dad, I really do; but as long as I have to take care of Lily, Jake Kane is somehow going to factor into my life."

Veronica leaned her head on Keith's shoulder and like he had done hundreds of times before Keith placed his arm over his daughter's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, kiddo?" Keith replied.

"I'm going to go crazy dealing with this whole situation if I also have to worry that every conversation we have is going to end in an argument about the Kanes."

Keith nodded his head. "For both our sakes, I'll try to keep my opinions on this topic to myself - unless you ask for them of course."

"Of course," Veronica repeated after him somewhat dubiously.

Keith turned his head so he could kiss the crown of Veronica's head. Into her hair he said, "You know I always have your back."

Keith's and Veronica's daddy/daughter moment was interrupted by a throat being cleared from the kitchen's doorway. Veronica looked up to see Lily standing in the kitchen doorway with a pissed off look on her face and her bags slung over her shoulders.

"First day filling in for Duncan and I'm already going to be the woman in the carpool lane in her pajamas," Veronica quipped as she straightened up and begun to stand.

"Actually," Keith said, patting Veronica's shoulder to indicate that she shouldn't get up. "It seems we're a one car family this morning and it could get a little crowded fitting five of us in it. Carla and I can drop off Lily at school today if you can get my car back from wherever you left it. I promise not to bat an eyelash if you come in late to the office."

"That would be great," Veronica replied before adding, "but why don't I just give you the keys to your car and the valet parking ticket so you can get your car right away?" She picked up her purse which was at the foot of the sofa and fished out the mentioned items and a $20 bill. She handed them to Keith who was looking at her concerned. "Cut out the middle man."

"Did something happen to my car that you aren't telling me about?" Keith asked, his eyes narrowed.

Veronica shook her head no. "Not that I know of, but I was thinking that maybe it might be easier if I got my own car," she explained. Keith raised both his eyebrows which Veronica recognized as his 'spill it' face. "Didn't I tell you?" Veronica said apprehensively. "I'm moving out. Co-guardianship apparently means co-habitating. Lily and I have to move in with Logan Echolls."

* * *

**Author's Note - I'm going to be prepping for my move at the end of the month so I haven't had as much time to write as I want. This means I'm going to have to continue to space out updates kinda far apart (so I don't run out of chapters to give you guys). Hopefully once I'm moved in I can get some more chapters stocked up and I can start doing updates closer together again. Thanks for all the encouragement and kind words. Next update will be this weekend - either Saturday or Sunday.**


	15. Chapter 14

Carla honking the car horn had rescued Veronica from explaining details she didn't yet know to her dad, but she promised to fill him in later. Once she was alone she found herself for the second time in two weeks packing up all her belongings so she could move. Seeing that all she had this time was a suitcase versus half of a DC apartment (most of which was currently sitting in a storage locker in suburban Virginia), the process went much faster.

There were a few boxes in the guest room closet that were labeled 'Veronica's Stuff'. She opened the top one and found that it mostly contained books and photos from high school. She was just about to close the box up when she noticed the metal studded shoulder strap of her favorite hobo bag. She reached in and pulled it out, only to discover it wasn't empty. A smile came over her face when she unzipped the bag and peered in; in it she found an old disposable phone, her taser, a slim jim, her monster key ring of master keys, her actual PI license, and about 12 fake ID's (not that she could pass for the photo of the young girl on most of them). There was just enough room in her suitcase for her hobo bag and its contents so she tossed it on top. She then closed the box back up while making a promise to herself that once she was settled she would come back here and go through rest of her things.

Not knowing what was going to be thrown her way today, Veronica opted for more of a FBI business look as opposed to the more casual PI look she had been sporting since she got home. She threw on one of the few pants suits she brought with her and to soften it up for California she paired it with knit camisole instead of a fitted oxford like she would have worn in DC. Looking into her bedroom mirror she noticed that a bruise had blossomed near where she had cut her head. With a little makeup and creative bang styling, she was able to mostly cover it up. As she applied a coat of clear lip gloss she heard a knocking on the door. Thinking it was her taxi, Veronica grabbed her suitcase and dragged it to the front door.

When Veronica threw open the front door she was surprised to find the body guard who had blocked her from following Logan into the security area the night before.

"Good morning, Ms. Mars," he said in the same matter of fact tone he had used the night before.

"Good morning. Jackson – wasn't it?" Veronica replied. She craned her neck to the left so she could look around him to see if her cab had arrived, but all she could see was a black convertible parked in the driveway and a black SUV parked on the street. A beefy guy dressed very similar to Jackson was sitting in the drivers' seat.

"Are you expecting somebody, Ms. Mars?"

"Just a taxi. Unless, of course, Logan doesn't pay you well enough so you have to moonlight as a cabbie?" Veronica sarcastically joked.

"No ma'am, I'm paid just fine. A taxi did pull up right in front of us, but we sent him on his way."

Veronica scrunched up her face and balled up her fists in frustration for a second before letting it go. Taking a deep breath, Veronica said as calmly as possible, "I know we got off to a bad start yesterday so I'm really hoping you had a good reason for doing that…other than to piss me off."

The corners of Jackson's mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile because he derived as much enjoyment from torturing Veronica as Logan did, but he managed to hold onto the straight face. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a yellow envelope labeled 'Neptune Grand'.

"Mr. Echolls sent this over," he said, handing the envelope over. Tentatively Veronica took the envelope from Jackson. Once she had it in her hand she could tell that it weighed more than a simple note. Veronica gave it small shake and she could feel some items shift.

"What is it?" Veronica asked.

Jackson shrugged, "I'm just the messenger. Besides, if you're such a great agent, shouldn't you be able to figure it out." Without waiting for a response from Veronica, Jackson turned away and headed for the SUV, leaving the convertible parked in the driveway and Veronica with a suspicion of what was in the envelope.

Veronica shut the front door and headed to the kitchen with the envelope. She grabbed a paring knife out of the knife block on the counter, slipped it under the lip of the envelope, and swiftly sliced the top open. She pulled out a piece of paper that looked like a note before tipping the envelope so the rest of its contents spilled onto the counter. As suspected, there was a key ring with both a car and a house key as well as a credit card with Logan's name on it and a business card with '_In case your Dad forgot_' scribbled across the top. Veronica held the note up so she could read it.

_**Veronica,**_

_**Ran into your Dad at the valet stand this morning. He didn't seem too happy to see me so I take it you told him about the housing situation. When I asked him how you were doing this morning, he muttered something about you buying a car. Not sure if this is some Mars secret code, but in case it's true I'll save you the hassle of making a car salesman cry. Sending you the keys to one of mine - consider it a loaner. I know you'd rather drive some used POS from the 90's, but you're going to be driving Lily around and she's used to a certain quality of life, so please just go with it.**_

_**My people tell me the house will be ready after 7 tonight. The address is 2815 Jasmine Coast Dr. I heard you made Lily go to school today. I'm going to be stuck all day filling out insurance paperwork so can you pick up Lily? Seeing that most of her clothes are currently ashes, my assistant made Lily an appointment to see a personal shopper at Bloomingdales after school. Just give them my credit card when you get there. Thanks.**_

_**Logan**_

Veronica rolled her eyes as she crumpled up the letter and tossed it on the counter. "Certain quality of life my ass," she muttered to herself. She looked out the kitchen window and stared at the convertible. It would be easy to drive to the Neptune Grand, find Logan, and shove its keys where the sun didn't shine; but the harder thing to do would be to accept that he was kind of right. On top of that, they weren't sure how long this situation was going to last and given the uncertainties she was already facing on the job front it would be stupid to take on new car payments.

Before she could change her mind, Veronica picked up the business card, entered Logan's contact information into her phone book, and then sent him a short text.

**Thanks. We'll see you after 7.**

Glancing at the time, Veronica figured she would have just enough time to stop at Cho's to grab a pizza to surprise her Dad at lunch. She grabbed her keys and her suitcase and headed out.

* * *

**Author's Note - I know that I promised this new chapter during this weekend, but the packing and cleaning related to my move caught up with me. I realized that until I'm in my new place, I'm going to be limited to probably one update a week. Thanks for all your encouragement and you bearing with me in all this craziness. **


	16. Chapter 15

"Pizza delivery," Veronica called out into the reception area of Mars Investigation. She headed straight for the kitchenette and placed the pizza on the only open spot of counter. "Half Veggie, half anchovies and pineapple. Guess which half is all yours?" She continued to say as she grabbed a plate from the drying rack in the sink. She placed a piece of the anchovy/pineapple pizza on the plate and then headed straight for Keith's office.

"So I heard you ran into Logan this morning at the Neptune Grand," Veronica said as she entered her Dad's office and laid the plate on his desk.

"Veronica, you have a visitor," Keith cut in before Veronica could say anything else. He shifted his eyes to Veronica's left for a brief moment to signal where the mystery guest was sitting. Veronica turned so she could introduce herself to the visitor, but stopped as soon as she recognized her Section Chief, Tom Hayes.

Hayes was the current poster boy for the FBI senior leadership. He was in his late 50's and nearing retirement eligibility, but his hair was still more pepper than salt and his face hadn't turned as haggard as tended to happen for many agents after working in the field for as long as he had. The only sign of him facing violence was a small scar just above the right side of his upper lip which most women considered sexy. During his field days he was known for his abilities to charm and seduce tough witnesses and suspects and as a senior leader he often put these skills to use as spokesperson for the FBI to the media. He also had a reputation of using his skills to bed young female agents. Before she had dated Eric, some people suspected Veronica as being one of those impressionable agents and sometimes they played their relationship like that for shock value; but the reality was that Tom had been Veronica's mentor since she interned at the Bureau and their relationship was more like a much older brother to a younger sister.

"Hayes, of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world," she greeted her boss.

The right side of Hayes' mouth quirked up in a half-smile, high-lighting his scar. "Take a seat Mars. You're right on time to hear me tell your father how much of an asset you've been to the Bureau." Veronica slid into the other seat reserved for clients and turned so she could see both her father and her boss.

"She could give J. Edgar a run for his money, that's for sure." Keith said, giving Veronica a smile. Before Veronica could react to these compliments, Keith stood up and added, "As much as I would love to continue hearing stories of the Sundance Kid here, I need to make some calls. I'll do it in the other room, give you two privacy to talk. It was nice to meet you, Tommy."

"Tommy?" Veronica silently mouthed at Keith. Keith ignored her.

"Next time I'm in town, let's get a beer at a Padres' game," Hayes said.

"Sounds like a plan," Keith replied. He grabbed a couple of folders from the desk and headed out of the room. As he passed Veronica he gave her a couple light pats on the shoulder, causing her to form a small smile.

The moment the door closed behind Keith, Veronica turned her full attention to her boss but she didn't say anything.

Finally Hayes spoke up, "You're dad's a cool guy. Definitely lives up to the stories you tell about him."

"He's the best – at least about 98% of the time. So how are things in DC?" Veronica decided to test the waters.

"I would love to tell you to cut your vacation short, but Eric's report is still making waves at Headquarters." Hayes told Veronica regretfully. "There are some people asking questions about his recall of events, but more people are looking for someone to blame for the death of Dimitry Avilov. Bringing him in would have been a huge strike against the Volkov syndicate."

"I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger," Veronica muttered.

"I know. It's just going to take some time to get others on the same page." Hayes reassured her. Trying to diffuse the tension that was building, Hayes teased, "So Mars, you normally wear pantsuits on vacation?"

Veronica frowned. "On the record, I don't think career-saving exile should count as vacation," she said. When Hayes didn't reply back, Veronica added, "If you're worried about me interviewing for a job on the West Coast, don't be. Given the events of the last 16 hours, I just want to look professional if the situation calls for it."

"Yeah, I heard about the explosion at the Grand. I was surprised to see your name in the police report. You ok?" Hayes said, his voice taking a more serious tone.

"I'm fine, some superficial cuts and bruising, a little sore, but I've been through worse," Veronica replied, her eyes darted away uncomfortably. Veronica took a deep breath and then focused back on Hayes. "Since you mentioned it, if you got the police report you must be helping with the investigation. Seems a little quick for Washington to be sending in the big guns. Don't the state offices get 12 hours before Headquarters swoops in?"

"I was already down here working on a case," he said.

"That's awfully convenient considering you don't take field cases anymore."

"I do when they involve inter-agency cooperation." He paused and then added, "and when the case has the potential to personally ensnare one of my best agents and sink her career."

The moment Hayes said _sink her career_ Veronica's gut knew he was talking about her and that this case had nothing to do with the situation Eric had put her in already. Still, she needed Hayes to confirm her feelings. "Oh. So you have other top agents in trouble?" she threw out a little too casually.

Hayes looked at Veronica in mock disappointment "Mars, you can do better than a softball question like that."

Veronica started to think back at all the cases she had heard rumors about, but she couldn't think of one that had a personal connection to her. Suddenly Veronica's mind flashed to her conversation she had with another unexpected visitor to the Mars Investigations office just 24 hours earlier: _I figured that when the FBI dismissed the kidnapping charges that I had you to thank for that._

"God I hope I'm wrong. Does this case you're working on involve dropping the charges on an over-a-decade-old kidnapping?" She asked, her face and voice full of the dread that she was right.

"Bingo," Hayes spoke up, flicking a finger off the side of his nose as if she had just correctly guessed a clue at charades.

Veronica sighed. "I should have known. Everything comes back to the Kanes."

"Apparently when it comes to you it does," Hayes agreed.

Hayes' comment hit a little too close to Veronica's argument with Keith. Suddenly she felt very confined in the chair so she stood up and perched herself on the edge of her father's desk.

"I wish it didn't," she said tersely. "So what can you tell me about this case?"

"Unfortunately not too much," Hayes said apologetically. "A few years ago, DOJ came to us with concerns regarding Kane Software. They wanted an inside man – someone who could get close to Jake Kane without rousing his suspicion. We recommended some of our best undercover guys and asset turners, but they had their hearts set on Duncan Kane. They just needed us to drop the kidnapping charges against him."

Veronica narrowed her eyes, "Wasn't anyone concerned that suddenly taking Duncan off America's most wanted list would make Jake or Clarence Weidman suspicious?"

"There was that possibility, but the timing was good. Every year the Kane family makes an appeal to drop the kidnapping charges, but Stewart Manning always made a stink about it in the media, creating a publicity nightmare. But that year Manning died of a stroke and Celeste Kane had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We thought Mrs. Manning might continue her husbands protest, but she indicated that she was tired of fighting the Kanes. We figured a family reunion with their only granddaughter might keep the Kane's from asking too many questions," Hayes answered.

"Wait, the Mannings have been gunning for Duncan for years. You don't really think that Mrs. Manning just gave up that easily do you?" Veronica asked.

"I think the million dollar plus Brownstone she bought and moved to on Beacon Hill in Boston will tell you just how easily she gave up that fight."

For a moment Veronica studied the face of her mentor. Most people would say that he looked indifferent, but Veronica could read something else. "You didn't want to do it," Veronica finally said.

Hayes nodded. "If the decision was up to me, no, I wouldn't have done it. It sends the wrong message; but the order came from above. I just made sure I got to be his handler."

"I don't understand. Why would you insist on that?"

"Because if anybody else in the Agency was his handler, they would have leveraged your past relationship with him and dragged you into the case," Hayes laid out matter-of-fact.

"You always say use whatever advantage we have," Veronica cut in.

This time it was Hayes standing up. He pushed some of the items on Keith's desk to the side before perching himself next to Veronica. "Believe me when I say that in that scenario, this would be your only case. You're too talented an agent to just be babysitting your ex-boyfriend," he explained as evenly as possible. "Besides, at that time, Duncan indicated that he didn't want you involved; but I guess he changed his mind since you're now guardian to his kid."

"I guess so," Veronica bit back her tongue. "You should have stopped them Hayes. He wasn't trained for the stuff that we do."

Hayes let out a bit of a laugh, "That's the funny thing, Mars, he was actually good at this type of work. He may not have been formally trained for it like you, but he spent eight years on the run and under the radar; and then even when authorities had tracked him down, he spent another five avoiding extradition – all while raising a kid. Even I have to admit that takes some skill."

For a minute neither one of them said a thing. Veronica's mouth was set in a tight line as she contemplated what she had just been told. Finally she asked, "So do you think the explosion was meant for him?"

"Hell if I know. It was Logan Echoll's hotel and from what I've heard he has his own set of problems," Hayes admitted. "But if I was a betting man, I would put my money that the bomb was meant for Duncan. For the last two years he's provided pieces of intel that will help sell a case against his father, but nothing that could put the final nail in the coffin. Then a few days ago he sends a message, outside of normal channels, that says he's come across information that would seal up the case for good but he'll only give it to me in person. I arrived in California last night because I was supposed to meet up with him today."

Veronica shook her head and said, "Jake or Clarence could have figured out what Duncan was up to."

"Or maybe someone told them," Hayes added his own theory.

This caught Veronica's attention. "Like a mole?" she asked.

"There are only a handful of people who knew about this project and even fewer who knew I was coming to de-brief him today," Hayes answered, neither directly confirming or denying Veronica's question. The fact that he even mentioned it spoke volumes.

Before she could ask a follow-up question, he stood back up and turned so he was facing her directly. "Look, I have to get back to the investigation site before they wonder where I've gone. I just wanted to fill you in since I know you are taking care of Duncan's daughter." Hayes then placed a hand on Veronica's shoulder and stooped a bit so he could look her directly in the eye. "You're going to have to be interviewed about what happened at the hotel. I'll make sure you get any information about the bomb that will help you better protect Ms. Kane, but this does not make you a part of the _official_ investigation. You're still on leave. Do you understand?"

Hayes emphasis on the word "official" spoke volumes – he wasn't going to stand in her way if she investigated off book, but if she was caught there would be consequences. She looked him square in the eye and answered, "I understand."

Hayes removed his hand, turned around, and started walking to the office door. The moment he reached for the door knob Veronica blurted out, "One last question, Hayes."

"Yes, Mars?"

Veronica took a deep breath and then let it back out. Reluctantly she asked, "Have they found…anything yet?"

Hayes didn't turn around to answer, "They found a piece of jaw bone."

* * *

**Author's Note - Thanks to everyone for sticking with me. I know my postings have not been frequent, but I'm pretty much spending 10 hours a day working at the office and another 6 packing after I get home. But I'm moving late next week so I hope that I can start writing regularly again starting the last week of August. I know that some of my chapters are short and a suggestion was made that if I posted more in an update that I could post less frequently. ****To try this out, I'm going to go ahead and also post Chapter 16 today. **Would you guys prefer more in my updates but doing it less frequently (like once a week versus 2-3 times a week) or are shorter updates at a more frequent schedule preferred? Just curious. For anyone who caught it, I did throw in a reference to my second favorite show of all time, Chuck in this chapter. I love Chuck, but somehow I can't inhibit their voices like I can the Marshmallow world, so that'll be the closest you see me to writing Chuck fanfiction. Thanks again for all the support and encouragement, and welcome to all my new followers.**  
**


	17. Chapter 16

"Veronica, honey."

_Veronica was floating in a raft somewhere in the ocean. There was nothing around her but a brilliant white sky and the clear azure blue ocean. The waves calmly lapped against the sides of the raft, barely making a soft clapping sound. Veronica thought she could hear her name on the wind, but the air was completely still. Veronica wanted to lie down and fall asleep on this ocean hammock, but instead she leaned over the edge so she could see all the way to the bottom of the ocean floor. At first she struggled to make sense of the shapes she saw randomly tossed around the sandy bottom, but gradually they all became clear: an ashtray, an Oscar statue, a toy school bus, the broken steering column of a plane, a catcher's mitt and some baseballs, and a unicorn with its horn snapped off. As she pulled her head back, she realized these items weren't randomly scattered; they formed a circle, and in the center of that circle there were two things: a jaw bone and a teddy bear. Suddenly the waves picked up and started to toss her raft around, making Veronica feel nauseous. The wind began to howl and she could hear her father's voice call out, "Earth to Mars!" Before she could answer, the ocean floor exploded below her._

Veronica shot up in her desk chair and screamed out, "Dad!"

"I'm right here, Honey," Keith immediately answered from beside her. Before he could say anything else, Veronica pulled the trash can out from under the desk and threw up into it. It was mostly dry-heaving because she hadn't bothered to eat lunch after Hayes had left the office. Keith placed one hand on her left shoulder and the other hand on her back and started to gently rub it in a circle. They remained quiet as Veronica's breathing began to return to normal. Finally after a couple of minutes Keith asked, "Are you ok, Veronica?"

Veronica nodded her head carefully. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream," Veronica reassured him. She lifted her right hand and had patted Keith's hand on her shoulder twice before placing it back on the desk.

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital and get you examined by a doctor. It's possible you suffered a concussion yesterday."

"I'm fine, Dad," Veronica said firmly. She began to push her chair back, forcing Keith to step away. She stood up and headed to the kitchenette where she took a glass from the drying rack and filled it with water from the tap. She lifted it to her lips and began swallowing it down. She didn't set the glass down until it was empty.

"That looked like anything but fine," Keith pointed out. He had walked over to the kitchenette doorway, but hadn't stepped inside.

Veronica waved him off and then walked past him to go sit down on the sofa. "The paramedics cleared me at hotel yesterday," she fibbed. "This is just a combination of too much excitement and stress with not enough food and sleep."

Keith crossed his arms and gave Veronica a look that said he didn't believe her. "You always were a tough cookie," he sighed.

"On the bright side, I didn't puke over this month's invoices," Veronica replied, attempting to redirect the conversation with humor.

"I'm sure Mrs. Gustafson is going to appreciate that when she gets it in the mail," Keith answered without missing a beat. He crossed back over to the reception desk, picked up some papers, walked over to Veronica, and handed them to her.

Veronica looked at her dad confused. She had been expecting him to ask her about her conversation with Hayes. "What is this?" she asked.

"Custody documents. Cliff messaged them over while you were talking to your boss. You need to take them to the school and update Lily's registration information." Keith explained as he walked back to the reception desk.

Veronica quickly scanned the documents and then asked, "Does school still let out at 3:30?"

"Yeah, and it's 2:30 now. You may want to get over there," he replied as he ruffled through folders.

Veronica waited for Keith to say something about the visit from Hayes; instead he quickly found the file he was looking for, muttered "Found it" to himself, and headed back to his office.

"Good idea," Veronica finally said unenthusiastically. She stood up and headed to the receptionist desk so she could get her purse out of the bottom desk drawer.

"You know," Keith casually called out just as Veronica was slinging her bag over her shoulder, "I think Wallace might have last period off."

Veronica looked over at her dad. He had the file open and his eyes were traveling across the page as he read the notes inside, but Veronica knew that he was just pretending. It seemed that Keith was holding to his agreement to not interfere with the Lily Kane situation and she felt immensely grateful.

Veronica pushed the desk drawer closed with her foot and then headed toward her. Dad. He didn't look up when she got to his side. She leaned over him and placed quick kiss on his forehead. "I love you, Dad. I'll let you know when I'm settled in," she said.

Keith grunted, "Love you too, kiddo. See you tomorrow morning – regular office hours."


	18. Chapter 17

Twenty minutes later, Veronica was pulling into the visitor parking lot of Neptune High and heading for the front office. She carried in her hands a cardboard tray with two cups of coffee and a bag of cookies that she had bought in the bakery that had opened just below Mars Investigations. Neptune High had gone through a face-lift since she had graduated with a couple new two story classroom wings, state of the art athletic facilities including a new football stadium, and a detached theater/amphitheater. Undoubtedly it had all been paid for through generous donations from '09er parents desperate for their precious but academically challenged children to graduate. Despite the changes, Veronica was able to easily find her first destination.

Upon entering the front office, Veronica took a moment to look around. There was just one administrative assistant who was standing behind the computer on the front counter and typing away. Behind the counter was a door marked '_PRINCIPAL CLEMMONS'_ with small window panels on each side of it. Veronica could see her old principal behind his desk talking on the phone. His face looked weary as ever, but his hair had thinned and it appeared that he was experimenting with a comb-over. Veronica gave a small chuckle before stepping up to the counter and setting down her tray.

"Excuse me," Veronica said clearing her throat. She looked down at the name plate beside the computer which read '_LISA STANRIDGE_'. "Lisa?"

The assistant stopped clacking away at her keyboard when she heard her name and looked up. "Yeah," she huffed impatiently before adding, "Can I help you?"

Veronica wanted to answer with a "what do you think, bitch?" but instead she put on her most earnest face and said, "I hope so. My name is Veronica Mars. I need to update the registration information for one of your students here, Lily Kane."

Lisa's face softened at the mention of Lily's name. "That poor girl," she sighed and then added, "I'm afraid only legal guardians can make a change request like that. Mr. Kane is going to have to personally come and submit the paper work."

"Awkward," Veronica said. "You see, Mr. Kane – I assume you are referring to Jake Kane– isn't the legal guardian." Veronica held up the document that Cliff had sent her earlier, "According to this very legal document, I am. Or at least I'm co-guardian."

Lisa's forehead creased in confusion. Veronica offered the document to her to read over. She took it hesitantly and then began to read through it. It quickly became obvious that understanding legal documents like this was way above her pay grade as her forehead creases got deeper. Finally she looked back up at Veronica and said, "Um, I'm going to have to take this to Mr. Clemmons to look at. Could you please wait here?"

"Not a problem," Veronica said sweetly. Lisa walked to the principals' door and rapped three times on it. When a muffled "Come in" sounded she entered the office, closing the door behind her. Principal Clemmons must have still been on the phone because the assistant stood in front of the door, blocking Clemmons' view of the office.

Veronica pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her email in order to pass the time. As she waited, she started thinking about her last conversation with Principal Clemmons at her graduation ceremony. She gave a small laugh remembering his face when she recommended that he not store his passwords on the bottoms of staplers and wondered if he had taken her advice. There would be no real way to check, unless he had passed the recommendation onto the front office staff.

Subtly as possible she picked up the stapler sitting beside the computer and pretended to admire it. Flipping it over in her hand, she immediately noticed the only words on the bottom were from the manufacturer. Setting the stapler back down, Veronica had to admit she was still curious. Having met the assistant, Veronica assumed that the passwords had to be somewhere easy to remember and access. Glancing around the desk her eyes settled on a 365-day desk calendar featuring kittens. Veronica picked up the calendar and flipped all the way through to the last page, but there was nothing there. As she began to set it back down she noticed that her fingers were feeling something much smoother than the back of the black plastic stand. Veronica turned the calendar over and then quietly exclaimed, "Yatzee!" Stuck to the back of the frame was a neon pink post-it with the word "password" followed by a list of nonsense words, all but the last one crossed out. Without a second thought, Veronica took a picture of the post-it with her cell phone before setting the calendar back down where it belonged and then went back to scrolling through her email.

A few minutes later the principal's door opened and Principal Clemmons walked out followed by Lisa.

"Well, Ms. Mars. What a…" Principal Clemmons began before taking a pause to consider his word choice carefully, "unexpected surprise." He then turned to Lisa and said, "Veronica here is one of Neptune High's more colorful alumni."

For the first time that day, a genuine smile spread across Veronica's face. Though it didn't sound like much, it was a high compliment coming from him. "It's really good to see you too, Mr. C," she replied.

"I was surprised to hear you actually came in to change a student's record. I would have expected you to take a more self-service approach."

Veronica shrugged. "I've been advised by my lawyer to try to be more conventional in how I do things."

"Hmmm, sound advice," Principal Clemmons said somewhat skeptically. He then turned to Lisa, "Ms. Stanridge, can you please print Ms. Mars a registration change form and scan a copy of the custody papers for our records."

Lisa took the papers Clemmons handed her and went to her computer and started clicking away with her mouse. A few seconds later there was the sound of a printer warming up and Lisa took the custody papers to the copy room.

"It was a bold choice to choose you and as guardians. I hope Mr. Kane understood what he was doing."

"You and me both," Veronica agreed.

"I understand from Mr. Fennel that you've been living in Washington D.C. How have you been enjoying it there?"

"It's ho…" Veronica was about to say 'home' but at the last second said, "hot. It gets really hot during the summer, and then really cold at winter. You know, actual seasons."

Veronica wanted to cringe the moment she finished speaking. She wasn't sure why suddenly the only thing she could mention about the place she'd lived in for the last 13 years was weather.

"So I've heard," Clemmons said. Veronica was saved from answering another question by Lisa who returned from the copy room and handed the custody papers back to Clemmons. The printer had also stopped so Principal Clemmons walked over and took the page that had been printed out. He stepped back over to Veronica but he didn't hand the papers over. Instead he looked Veronica straight in the eye, "As much as I enjoy seeing Neptune High's illustrious former students, please understand when I say that I hope not to see you or Mr. Echoll's in the front office anytime soon."

Veronica cocked her head and looked at Clemmons thoughtfully. She could read his message loud and clear, "I don't want any trouble."

Veronica held up her right hand in a mock scout salute and said, "On my honor, I will try." As she brought her hand back down she added, "And I promise I will pass that message on to all concerned parties."

Satisfied, Clemmons gave a small nod and handed the papers over to Veronica. "Both you and Mr. Echolls will need to sign this. You can send it back through Mr. Fennel if you like."

"Will do," Veronica smiled and then added. "Actually, can you tell me where I can find Wallace?"

"East Wing Room 216."

Clemmons had barely finished when Veronica grabbed her coffee tray and headed out of the office. "Thanks Mr.C!" she called over her shoulder and headed toward the east wing of Neptune High

A few minutes later Veronica found herself in front of a classroom door labelled with a blue plaque that read '_MR. FENNEL'_. Veronica peered through its window and she could see Wallace bent over students' work on his desk, his wrist giving an occasional flick as he marked an answer wrong. Satisfied that he was alone, Veronica gave a short rap on his door causing him to look up. When he saw Veronica's face he waved her in.

"Hey there Papa Bear! How's it hanging?" Veronica greeted Wallace as she headed over to his desk.

"I'd be doing a whole lot better if some of these kids bothered to crack open their health books."

"Come on. It can't be as bad as Gia 'chlymidia-is-a-flower' Goodman. Can it?" Veronica asked as she perched on a student desk in front of Wallace.

Wallace nodded his head. "Some of these kids make Gia look like a NASA rocket scientist."

"Poor Wallace. Well, hopefully this will make you feel better. One extra-caramel latte with whipped cream." Veronica removed one of the cups from the coffee tray, handed it to him, and then held up the white paper bag with cookies.

Wallace slapped his hands together and started to rub them together. "Please tell me those are…"

"Snickerdoodles. Of course." Veronica finished Wallace's sentence as she handed them over. Wallace immediately grabbed a cookie out of the bag and took a big bite out of it. His eyes rolled back in his head in bliss before he looked back at Veronica.

"Thank you." Wallace said gratefully after he had swallowed. "I had lunch duty today which meant I didn't have time to grab a bite to eat."

"Isn't the basis of lunch duty, lunch?" Veronica asked facetiously.

Wallace ignored her question. Instead he said, "Speaking of the lunch yard, you should hear what people are saying about you today."

"Oooo. Pray tell, Coach Fennel."

Wallace stood up from his chair and started gathering his things, "Only if you walk out with me to the gym."

"I think that can be arranged," Veronica said. She grabbed her coffee and tossed the empty tray into the trash can as Wallace stuffed some papers into his school bag, flung that bag over his shoulder, and then grabbed his gym bag. Wallace followed Veronica out of the room, hitting the light switch off on his way out and then locking the door.

"So the rumor has it," Wallace began as he headed toward the main stairway, his voice had that excited tone it always adopted when retelling a juicy story. "That Duncan Kane died in that fire at the Neptune Grand last night and that Lily Kane is now being adopted by her 'Uncle' Logan and her dad's ex-girlfriend Veronica Mars. She's described as short, blonde, and bitchy."

"She's bitchy, huh?" Veronica said as she stayed in step with her best friend.

"Yeah, something along the lines of she forced Duncan to break up with Lily's mom when she was pregnant with her and then dumped Duncan for Uncle Logan."

Veronica rolled her eyes as they started walking down the stairs. "Sounds more like a bit of a tramp if you ask me."

"I think that last bit came from Angie Dahl's niece and she's known as an exaggerator so I don't think many people are putting much stock in it." Wallace came to a halt on the middle landing, forcing Veronica to stop as well. He looked Veronica straight in the eye and seriously asked, "Is it true?"

"That I'm short? Yeah, but I don't know why everyone seems fixated on that one fact," Veronica quipped, her eyes avoiding Wallace. When she glanced back over at her best friend, she could see that Wallace was giving her his quit-bull-shitting-me look. With a sigh she added "I wouldn't say that it's a 100% accurate depiction of the situation."

"Then enlighten me."

Veronica glanced both and down the stairs to make sure that no one was coming before she started.

"There was an explosion in Duncan's suite at the Neptune Grand and now nobody knows where Duncan is. According to his legal documents, Logan and I are Lily's guardians until he's found – either alive or dead."

Veronica was sure that Wallace was going to make some comment on how crazy it was that she and Logan had to do anything together so she was surprised when his only question was. "Do you think he's dead?"

"Umm, I don't know." Veronica hesitated "I was on my way to his suite when it happened. My professional opinion, _if he was the target_, either someone wanted him dead or someone wanted it to look like he was dead."

Wallace let out a whistle. "Are you ok, Veronica?"

She shrugged. "I'm tired and a little sore," Veronica said trying to sound tough, but since she was talking with Wallace she added, "I'm also confused, overwhelmed, and angry…name a negative feeling and it's probably in me right now."

Wallace threw his arm over Veronica's shoulder and gave her a supportive squeeze. "Well, if I was Duncan Kane, there's nobody I would trust more than Logan and angry Veronica to watch over my daughter."

At that moment the end of school bell rang and students began to pour out of classrooms. Wallace let go of Veronica and with a jerk of his head indicated they should keep walking.

"Angry Veronica? You make it sound like I'm the Hulk," Veronica went back to quipping as she followed him down the stairs.

"Everybody knows that you turn all mama-bear protective when somebody messes with your people." Wallace stated. They had reached the bottom stairs and Wallace had hurried the last few steps so he could push open one of the front doors ahead of them. With his back turned toward her, he didn't see her briefly wince.

"Duncan hasn't been one of my people for a very long time," Veronica pointed out as she walked past him and into the bright sunshine. Her sunglasses had been perched on the top of her head so she flipped them back down so they were in place again.

"Doesn't matter. What do I keep telling you? You're a marshmallow, Mars." Wallace grinned at his best friend.

"I guess you're right." Veronica grumbled but then smiled back, "Good pep talk, Coach. I knew you would help me put things in perspective."

"Great!" Wallace said as they continued walking towards the gym complex. "Does this mean we can move onto the me-doing-you-a-favor part of our conversation? I still need to go change into my gym clothes before practice."

"Wellll," Veronica drawled out. "I wasn't sure if I was going to ask you, but since you brought it up – I need to get to know more about Lily. Do you think you could get me Lily's school file?"

Wallace let out such a deep laugh that some of the kids walking past them started looking at him strangely. "Oh hell to the no," he finally said.

"Why not? The exchange of information is the basis of our relationship," Veronica pointed out.

They started walking by more athletes as they approached the front door of the gym. Wallace returned the greetings from a few while he lightly grabbed Veronica by the elbow and steered her about 10 feet to the side of the doors, right in front of the Lilly Kane Memorial Fountain.

Lowering his voice he said, "Because back in the day the students were our peers. Now I have a position of authority over them."

"Which means you have easier access to the files."

"Which means that I will get fired if they catch me doing that," Wallace said firmly. "And I really like my job."

Veronica sighed. "I didn't think you would say yes, but I thought I should try asking."

Wallace looked at Veronica who had put a sad puppy look on her face and cocked her head to the side. "Damnit, Mars. You know I hate it when you tilt your head like that," Wallace broke down. "I've only had her one semester for health, but she's a decent student. Mostly B's and low A's. She's a really great artist, she's on student council like her dad was, and she was on the swim team in the winter. She hangs mostly with the '09ers but she's not mean to the other zip codes like some of her friends. She's BFF's with Katie Fuller and I've heard that she's been getting cozy with Tate Whitney from the boys' lacrosse team. And she had to serve one detention this year after she got caught going off campus for lunch."

Veronica's face brightened and she threw her arms around her friend for a hug, "I thought you weren't…"

"Just because I won't give you the file, doesn't mean I won't read it for you." Wallace cut her off quietly so no kids could hear him. "Now let me go woman, I have a rep to protect."

Looking triumphant, Veronica did as he asked. "Thanks, buddy."

Wallace waved it off, "Take some advice from someone who works with teenagers every day. Try talking to her. She may not open up to you at first, but you'll wear her down eventually – you always do."

"I'll keep that in mind," Veronica thanked him.

"Anything else?" Wallace said. His eyes kept darting to the gym doors.

"Oh- there was one more thing I wanted to ask you. Where can I find Weevil?" Veronica said, suddenly remembering her sighting of the former PCH'er from last night.

Wallace smiled and started to jog backwards toward the gym doors. "Try Google. Navarro Auto. I gotta go or I'm going to be late to practice and the kids are going to make me run laps. I'll call you later, Mars," he called out before disappearing behind the gym doors.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Veronica muttered as she turned around so she could scan the courtyard and try to find Lily. It didn't take her long to find a group of '09er kids centered around her, just like they had for her aunt once upon a time. She considered walking up to Lily but quickly dismissed that as being embarrassing. She fished her cell phone out of her bag and typed:

**I'm by the fountain. 10 more minutes with friends, then meet me in visitor parking lot. You have some shopping to do.**

Veronica slipped her phone back into her bag and then watched Lily. She saw Lily pull her own cell out and read a message. Casually, Lily glanced up and looked directly at Veronica at the fountain. She gave a barely perceptible nod and then turned her attention back to her friends. Satisfied, Veronica headed back to Logan's car.

* * *

**Author's Note - Based on feedback, I made this a longer update, but did it in one chapter. So the good news is that the big move is at the end of this week. I'm finishing up my packing now and will have everything moved in by Saturday (I hope). The bad news is that I won't have wi-fi until next Monday. What this means is that the next update won't be until Tuesday at the earliest. But this also means I am getting back to a place where I may actually be able to write for fun again. (This is good since I'm almost out of backlog chapters). As a "Sorry to leave you hanging for a bit" I'll let you know that when I get back, our story will focus again on Veronica and Logan - and we'll finally see Logan's new digs.**


	19. Chapter 18

Logan stood slumped over in the shower, his head leaning on the tile so that only his shoulders were being pounded by the ice-cold water coming from his high-pressure shower head. While the knots in his back would have preferred a shower that was more toward the bordering-on-scalding end of the thermometer, he had been up for 36 hours and counting and needed all the stimulation he could get in order to make it through the next few. There was also the added benefit that the cold kept him tense; warmth meant relaxation which lead to vulnerability which was something he couldn't afford to show Veronica…again. The last time he had let her in, he had ended up with a broken heart and a metal rod holding his arm together after he wrapped his car around a palm tree when he tried to drink away the pain. Granted the fact that he had already loaned her his favorite car and gave her a credit card told Logan that his soft spot for the sassy blonde was alive and well.

He let the shower's icy fist beat on him for another two minutes before he straightened up so he could quickly shampoo and rinse his hair. As he turned off the shower and opened the shower door he could hear the sound of a car pull up in the driveway. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his torso and made his way to the window, water dripping on the floor with each step he took. With one hand he pushed the linen curtains to the side just enough to see Veronica and Lily getting out of the car. Lily was already on the phone talking to someone while she picked up shopping bags from the back seat. The sun was just beginning to set so Veronica had raised her sunglasses to the top of her head and was slowly turning around as she took in the sight of his house.

Logan could remember the amazement he felt when he had his first look. It was two story low country plantation style house with a raised basement and 2-car garage. A porch, covered with vines of Jasmine, ran all around the first floor of the house and the back had a screened in veranda on the first floor and a deck that connected both upstairs bedrooms. The back of the house faced the beach and all the bedrooms had large windows that took advantage of the ocean views. The house was located within one of the last private coves in Neptune - to the right of the house were the rocky cliffs that defined the Pacific Coast Highway just outside of Neptune and to the right there was just miles and miles of beach. His nearest neighbor was a mile run down the beach and the closest public beach was at least another seven. The cove opened in a way that you could still see downtown Neptune but you didn't feel like it was sitting right on top of you. It was the closest a person could get to privacy when living on the beach, and what Logan considered perfection.

Logan dropped the curtain before Veronica could glance upstairs. Hastily he finished toweling himself off before throwing on a pair of worn blue jeans, a long-sleeved Henley, and flip-flops and then headed out of the master bedroom. He made his way down the basement stairs and entered the garage and pushed the button to open the first garage door. As the door climbed up its tracks, Logan saw Veronica's legs turn towards it and Logan couldn't help but hope that he may have scared her for a moment. Lily meanwhile said a quick good-bye to her friend and hung up her phone.

"Hey, Uncle Logan," Lily greeted Logan as she walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for the shopping trip. I wasn't sure how long I was going to have to live in the same outfit."

"Not a problem, Lil. I take it the shopping went well."

"It was good, for the most part," Lily said tossing a quick and dirty glance back at Veronica. Logan raised an eyebrow and looked at Veronica. Veronica just rolled her eyes.

"Well, if you're hungry, Chef Roberto sent over your favorite – truffle mac and cheese. It's staying warm in the oven. The pastry chefs also sent over some key lime pie and those big chocolate chip cookies."

"Is it ok if I eat in my room?" Lily asked. "I still have some homework to finish for tomorrow, and I um, kinda want to be by myself for a while."

"Go ahead," Logan gave his permission. "I think Heather said your room is the one on the left on the second floor, look for the bed with the giant flowers."

"Thanks, Uncle Logan." Lily went back to the car, gathered her bags, and then headed out of the garage and up the basement steps. She didn't say anything to Veronica on her way out.

When Lily was out of earshot Logan turned to Veronica, "I see there's a new member of the Veronica Mars' fan club."

"I think she was testing me," Veronica said as she walked up to Logan "but I wouldn't let her buy Le Perla."

"What's wrong with Le Perla?"

"You are such a guy," Veronica sighed. "Other than it not really being appropriate for someone her age, their cheapest set of matching bra and panties costs about a third of my regular pay check."

"I know you don't normally live in the 09 zip code so you may not recognize it, but that piece of plastic I gave you was what we call a no-limit credit card." Logan smirked.

Veronica pulled out her wallet from her purse, opened it up and pulled out the credit card and a couple receipts. "I may not have, but your personal shopper did," Veronica said smugly as she handed them over. "I may be thrifty, but I'm not cruel. I took her to Victoria's Secret. I'm not forcing on her the 3-pairs of cotton panties value packs from Target like the rest of us mere mortals."

Logan read over the totals from the bills and the word "wow" formed on his lips. Suddenly Veronica's reasoning didn't seem so bad. Logan slipped the receipts into his back pocket but handed the credit card back to Veronica. "Keep it. You can charge any Lily-related expense to it."

Veronica hesitantly took the card. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It'll make the book-keeping part of managing her trust easier," he assured her. "At least that's what my accountant told me today."

"Thanks." Veronica accepted the card and put it back in her wallet.

"So did she tell you how her school day went?"

Veronica shook her head. "She barely spoke three words to me in the car. I can't imagine it was easy though. I spoke to Wallace and apparently we're already talk of the town."

"Probably would have been easier if you had just kept her home," Logan pointed out.

"Wasn't my call. She wanted to go because she had a test," Veronica defended herself. "Besides, think back to what we both did immediately after our moms disappeared. We were both in school the next day trying to act like nothing was wrong."

For a moment they both lapsed into silence as they thought about their own history, but before he could travel too far down that road, Logan redirected the conversation. "How was the car?"

"Good." Veronica said reservedly, but then a genuine smile crept on her face. "Actually, it was really great. I haven't driven a convertible since I had the Le Baron. I had forgotten how nice it is to drive with the top down in California. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm glad it worked out," Logan replied. For a moment Logan reveled in seeing actual joy on her face; but then he remembered the danger of getting too close to her. Trying to get back onto neutral ground, he asked "Do you mind driving the car into the garage? Sand blowing in from the beach overnight can be hell on the paint job."

Veronica's smile faded from her face. "Yeah, of course. I would have before, but I didn't see a garage opener," she apologized as she got back into the car. Carefully she drove it into the garage and put it in park. Before she could turn off the car, Logan came and leaned over her to reach the video console.

"It's built into the car," he explained as he hit the menu button. He found the button on the screen that read "garage", hit it, and then turned the keys in the ignition to the off position so they didn't asphyxiate themselves as the door came down. When he turned his head to see if Veronica had seen what he did, he noticed that Veronica's body was tense and she had her lips pursed. He also couldn't help noticing that she still smelled like _Promises_. "You got that?" he asked.

"Yup, thanks," she said a little too quickly. Logan smirked as he straightened up, relieved to see that he wasn't the only one rattled.

"Do you have a suitcase?" he asked as he backed away from her door.

Veronica nodded as she removed the keys from the ignition. "In the trunk. Plus Lily has a few more bags in there." She hit a button on the keychain as she got out of the car and Logan heard the lock on the trunk pop.

Logan got to the trunk first and began to hand the shopping bags to Veronica. "Take these. I'll get your suitcase."

"That's really not necessary, Logan. I can carry my own suitcase," Veronica protested.

Logan handed Veronica the last of the bags and then hauled out her suitcase. "It's not a problem. I work in a hotel. This is what we do," he said as he shut the trunk. He pulled out the handle of the suitcase and started toward the door that led into the house.

"I don't think owning the hotel is quite the same thing as working there as a bellhop," Veronica casually quipped as she began to follow him.

Logan stopped suddenly and turned to face Veronica. "Your room is two floors up. Do you really want to carry this thing up two flights of stairs?"

"You're right. I'm sorry, Logan," Veronica said sincerely. "It's been a long 24 hours and you know how I get snarky when I'm tired and stressed."

"Yeah, I get it." Logan agreed. "But how about we both try to keep the snark to a minimum while we take a tour of the house."

"Lead the way."

* * *

"So down the hall by the back door we have the laundry room on the right and the sand room on the left," Logan pointed toward the end of the hall to his right as he led Veronica out of the garage. All Veronica could see was a sliding glass door that emptied into a small back yard and the beach beyond.

"Sand room?"

"Yeah, that's what Heather calls it. It's like a mud room but for the beach. I keep surfboards, wet suits, and other outdoor stuff there. It also has a shower so you can rinse off and not drag sand through the house."

Before Veronica could comment, Logan opened the door directly in front of him and peeked in quickly, "Media room," he said nonchalantly as he moved on towards the stairs, leaving the door open. Something about the way he said felt uncertain so Veronica poked her head in to find a large 80-inch tv mounted on the wall connected to the latest in video and gaming equipment. A giant sectional sofa that looked more like a giant 6-person bed took up the center of the room. Black out curtains covered the windows and the back wall had built in shelves filled with blue-rays and video games; there was even a tiny bar area that looked like a movie theater concession stand. Hanging over the bar was a large framed poster from "Easy Rider". Veronica pulled back just in time to see Logan and her suitcase disappearing up the stairs to her left, so she hurried after him.

"Ok, so when you turn right we hit the kitchen," Logan continued before pausing and looking left. "That appears to be the dining room, and if we go this way…"Logan said as he turned 180 degrees to enter another small hallway, but he was interrupted by the sound of Veronica's stomach giving a loud growl. He turned and looked at her with a smirk, "I see some things never change."

"I may not have had more than a cup of coffee and a cereal bar today," Veronica said embarrassed.

"In that case, why don't you go to the kitchen and fix yourself a plate while I drop off your suitcase and these bags off upstairs." Before Veronica could protest, Logan took the bags from Veronica's hands and looped them over the handle of her suitcase and headed down the hallway.

Instead of heading directly towards the kitchen, Veronica traced Logan's steps down the hallway. Reaching the end, she found herself in the front entryway to the house. The right side of the entryway was bordered by the stairs going to the second floor and the formal entrance to the dining room. Across the entryway was a room that Veronica guessed from its many shelves of books was a study or office. There was short hallway identical to the one she had just come down on the left side which Veronica supposed headed to a bedroom.

Turning to her left Veronica found the open space living room which connected to the kitchen. The décor had a cozy, coastal vibe to it. The contemporary sofas and chairs in the room were all a pale beige color that reminded Veronica of the sand on the beach and their cushions looked extremely comfortable for taking a nap. Accent pillows in various shades of blues reminiscent of the ocean were strewn across the seating and the sofa had a navy-colored Irish cable knit throw draped over one arm. In the center of the room there was dark blue and cream striped woven area rug underneath a coffee table made out of a pane of glass perched on top of a large driftwood stump. Hanging from the ceiling was quiet ceiling fan whose blades were shaped like the propellers of a boat. Scattered throughout the room there were decorative accents like candles in hurricane lanterns, sculptures made out of coral, and metal sea creatures. The one thing that Veronica didn't find were any personal knick-knacks – not even a photo.

Finally Veronica's eyes came to rest on the large square oil painting that hung over the fireplace. She didn't need to know how to surf to recognize that is was an artist's abstract depiction of the barrel of a wave. The artist captured the dynamics all the blues, greens, and browns that a wave took on as well as the shafts of light that cut through the water. It was so easy to understand from the painting the peacefulness a surfer might feel when in the heart of a wave. Suddenly Veronica realized that for Logan there was nothing more personal he could put up.

"Did you know my mom painted that?" Logan's voice suddenly came from beside Veronica. She looked up startled and Logan smiled. "One of a very few Lynn Lester originals still out there in the world."

"I didn't know your mom could paint," Veronica said.

"Neither did I until I turned 25," Logan said as his eyes taking on a faraway look. "That's when my Mom's will said I could take control of her art collection. Turned out it wasn't just hers, it was the Lester's family art collection that her family had been collecting for over 75 years. As the last of the Lesters, I got it all. Her paintings were mixed in with all the Picassos, Reniors, and Cezannes. I sold most of it to private collectors and museums. That's how I could afford to buy the Grand, but I kept hers. I think Heather centered all the decorating on that painting."

At that moment. Veronica wanted to do nothing more than to take Logan's hand and give it a squeeze. Instead all she managed to get out, "It's really beautiful, Logan."

Logan's eyes snapped back to the present and he looked at Veronica. "I thought you were going to get some food."

Sensing that the personal moment was over, Veronica shrugged. "I got sidetracked."

Logan shook his head and pointed at a stool tucked under the kitchen island counter. "Sit. I'll get you something. Don't want to feed you too late in case you spawn a bunch of gremlins."

Veronica thought about flicking Logan the bird but opted instead to ask uncomfortable questions as she sat down on one of the stools. "So who's Heather? Is she your girlfriend?"

Logan, who was spooning out Mac and cheese onto a plate, paused what he was doing. "As always, you go for the land mine question."

"If we're going to be living under the same roof, don't you think it's a good thing for me to know? Wouldn't want to interrupt you and Heather having a moment on the…"

"Heather is definitely _not _my girlfriend." Logan cut Veronica off. Logan had finished serving up the pasta so he grabbed a fork out of a drawer and then brought them to Veronica.

"I think you doth protest too much," Veronica replied before taking a bite of the food.

Logan made his way to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He twisted off the caps and then gave one of those to Veronica before going back to his plate on the other side of the island. He took one swig of his beer and said, "I met Heather our freshman year at Hearst when she was like 12. She's like a little sister to me. Actually more of a sister to me than my actual sister."

"So why is she decorating your house? That seems like a job reserved for a girlfriend," Veronica said between bites.

"One – I'm too busy with the Grand's expansion to be dating right now. Two – Heather works for one of the best design firms in Los Angeles and has been pushing me to decorate this place for a while. I called her up last night right after I dropped you off."

"That was 1 am. Are you saying that she did all this within the last 24 hours?" Veronica asked with amazement.

"I told you last night, it wasn't guest ready," Logan replied nonchalantly. When Veronica continued to look at him incredulously Logan explained, "This was the place I went to when I needed to escape the hotel. I kept things simple. All I really needed was a place for my surf board, beer in the fridge, and a mattress on the floor to sleep on."

"Surf shacks sure have changed since the days of Gidget and Moondoggie," Veronica commented. For a few minutes they both ate quietly. The only sound was the waves crashing on the shore outside.

"Your turn now," Logan finally said just as Veronica brought her beer bottle up to her lips. "Should we be expecting any east coast gentlemen callers stopping by for a booty call?"

Veronica had to swallow her beer quickly in order to not spit it out. Veronica picked up her plate and walked it over to the kitchen sink. "So you said there's key lime pie?"

"Not until you answer the question Ms. 'living-under-the-same-roof'."

Veronica finished rinsing her plate and fork and put them in the drying rack before turning around with a scowl on her face. "I won't have any gentlemen calling on me here," Veronica kept her answer vague, but her hard tone indicated it was the end of that conversation.

"Ok," Logan replied. He went back over to the fridge, pulled out the pie, and set it on the counter in front of her.

Veronica looked like she was going to pass, but then she muttered "Damn you pie!" As she turned back to get her plate and fork, Logan took a knife from the knife block and placed it beside the pie plate.

"So one of your people stopped by my office today and requested an interview with you, me, and Lily," Logan said as Veronica dished herself some pie.

"My people?" Veronica replied as she finished serving herself. She put the pie back in the fridge and then headed back to her stool.

"You know…an agent. They're crawling all over the hotel after they took over the investigation from the Sheriff's Department."

"Did you get a name?" Veronica asked.

"Probably, but I don't remember." Logan leaned against the counter so he was across from Veronica. "You all look the same in those suits, including the women." Logan made some kind of gesture pointing out Veronica's own pantsuit. "He seemed to know you though."

"That had to be my boss Hayes then. What did you tell him?" she said before taking a bite of pie.

"I told him he could stop by here after school lets out tomorrow, like around 5. I have to go to the hotel early again so do you think you can drop off Lily at school and I'll pick her up. We'll meet you back here."

The mention of school reminded Veronica of the registration form Logan needed to sign. She grabbed her purse that was hanging off the back of the stool and fished out the sheet. She had filled out most of the form while she had been waiting for Lily to finish shopping. All that it needed was his signature.

"Fine with me." Veronica set the form down on the counter and pushed it toward Logan. "Clemmons said you need to sign these."

Logan picked it up and started reading through it. "Do you have a pen?" He grunted after a few seconds. Veronica fished one out of her bag and handed it over. He quickly crossed out the first line of the form and inserted something else. "It's Lily with one 'L' in the middle, not two."

"But Lilly always spelled it with two," Veronica insisted.

Logan flipped to the other side of the paper and scrawled his signature on the back. "Well, the Donut wanted to honor his sister but didn't want Lily to live completely in her shadow. Thus just the one 'L'." Logan punctuated his statement by handing the form back to Veronica with a flourish.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to remember." Veronica said taking it back.

Logan stood up and grabbed his beer. "I know I told you I would give you a tour of the house, but it's getting kind of late and I have some more work to do. Is it ok if I knock off?"

Veronica nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll just clean up down here and head upstairs to unpack."

"Just leave the dishes in the sink, I've got a maid coming in the morning," Logan waved it off as he headed out the kitchen and across the living room. "If you need anything, well, you're a big girl – you can figure it out on your own. Night, Mars," Logan called over his shoulder.

"Good night, Logan," Veronica called back as she stood up. She quickly picked up all the dirty dishes, rinsed them off, and put them in the dishwasher. Grabbing her purse, she did another walk through the first floor to check to see that all the doors were locked and to turn off the lights. Satisfied that they were safe for the evening, Veronica headed upstairs, but before she went to her room she walked over to Lily's closed door. There was still a light shining underneath it but Veronica couldn't hear anything. She chalked it up to Lily wearing her headphones or that she was in the bathroom. Still, Veronica decided to take a chance and said "Goodnight, Lily" through the door. There was no response so Veronica turned back and started walking to her room. She was half-way to her room when she heard the door open behind her and Lily say "Goodnight," before quickly closing it again.

* * *

**Author's Note - Thank you to everyone who has stuck by the story during my move. I'm glad to finally have it behind me so that I can get back to continuing this story. I will confess that I am almost out of out of parts already written, so I'm hoping the writing muse comes back fast. Thank you to all my new followers and to those who have left reviews. **


	20. Chapter 19

Veronica woke up to a rude squawking greeting her ears. Reaching out with her arm she swatted at the alarm clock making the offensive noise, but after hitting it multiple times and the alarm not stopping she realized the sound was coming from somewhere else. Grudgingly Veronica opened one eye. For a moment she was confused as to why her father's westward facing guest room whose window was blocked from all natural light by a large oak tree was suddenly filled with the soft glow of the morning sunrise, but then her eyes began to focus on the seagulls swooping through the sky outside a very large window. Suddenly reality came crashing down on her – she was sleeping in her new room at Logan Echoll's beach house. Veronica groaned and tried to hide deep within her blankets but the only thing that resulted in was Veronica realizing that she was in the most comfortable bed ever. "At least this reality comes with a Heavenly Bed," she muttered to herself as she threw off the covers instead.

Looking at the clock she saw that it was a 6:45, she had just enough time to take a quick shower before she had to get Lily to school by 8:00. Veronica pushed herself off the bed and padded over to the closet to grab an outfit from what she had unpacked the night before. Turning around, Veronica took a moment to take in the room. Logan's friend had mostly kept to a minimalist palette of white and grey but kept it interesting by employing them in a wide variety of shades and textures. The only major source of color in the room was a triptych of paintings hanging over the bed reflecting the sky over the beach at sunrise, noon, and sunset. Veronica didn't even need to read the artist's signature to know the set was another creation of Lynn Lester. Altogether the space had a tranquil feel to it, as if Veronica had just stepped into spa.

The spa-like feel continued into the bathroom which had all white features and was tiled with snow-white sea-glass tiles in a variety of rectangular sizes. The only pop of color was a purple orchid on the bathroom counter. Veronica stretched her muscles, which were still a little sore from the explosion at the grand, as she reached into the shower and turned on the hot water. As she waited for the water to heat up, she brushed her teeth and started to make a list of everything she needed to accomplish during the day: in between dropping off Lily at school and the FBI interview in the evening: she needed to finish prepping the MI monthly invoices and drop them at the post office, start researching what Duncan had been doing at Kane Software, and finally stop at Weevil's garage to find out what he was doing at the Grand the night of the explosion. When Veronica entered the shower she had enough of a game plan that she was able to clear her mind and just enjoy the warm, wet massage delivered by the rainfall shower head.

Veronica may have taken a little more time than planned for in the shower; it was 7:25 when she got out and she had wanted to leave the house by 7:30. She quickly threw on a pair of dark jeans, a white sleeveless tee, a tan leather blazer, and a pair of black boots before grabbing her bag and running downstairs.

"Ok, where is the coffee in this place?" she announced as she entered the kitchen.

Lily was sitting at the breakfast table in the breakfast nook and eating a piece of toast. She had on a short red floral skirt and a black three-quarter length sleeve sweater that could have come out of Meg's closet, but it was the pair of black motorcycle boots that gave Veronica serious envy. To top it all off, around her neck she wore one of those popular state charm necklaces with the state of California made out of gold. As she finished swallowing her bite of toast she stood up and grabbed her back pack.

"I don't know, but I have to be in home room in 30 minutes and the drive is at least 20," Lily commented as she walked past Veronica toward the stairs going to the basement.

"Valid point. No coffee until the office, it is then," Veronica replied and followed right after her.

For the first 5 minutes of the drive, neither one of them spoke. Veronica was about to reach for the radio just for the background noise when Lily spoke up.

"You're really not a morning person, are you?"

"It's not my favorite time of day," Veronica admitted, "but you have to admit the last couple of days have not been routine. I promise that I will get better at this morning thing next week." Veronica glanced over at Lily to see her reaction, but she had a hard time reading her face. Veronica decided to take Wallace's advice and turned the conversation back onto Lily.

"Well, what about you? Do you consider yourself a morning person?"

Lily shrugged. "I guess, but I like them better on the weekends when I can go in the water."

"Well, since it's Friday, you seem to be in luck. Do you surf?" Veronica asked.

"Uncle Logan's teaching me how. It's ok," Lily said in that perfect disaffected way that only a teenager could pull off.

"But you prefer to do other things?"

"Dad and I went diving and sailing a lot. Snorkeling too."

Veronica ears perked up. Lily had given Veronica the perfect opportunity to try to get information about Duncan's past that could be relevant. She knew that she had to be careful about any questioning though, otherwise she might spook her. "Did you guys live near the ocean a lot?"

"I guess."

Veronica glanced back at Lily and saw that the girl was examining her closely, as if she was trying to decide whether Veronica was going to be her friend or her foe. Veronica wasn't sure what to do so she just kept quiet and returned her eyes to the road.

"My dad liked to stay near big vacation spots, especially ones near water," Lily finally spoke. "He said it would be easier to blend in with all the American tourists. Being close to water also gave us a chance for a quick get a-way if we needed one; but honestly - I think the ocean made him feel a little closer to home."

The light ahead of their car turned red so Veronica slammed her foot on the brake and turned to face the girl. Maybe Hayes was right – Duncan knew more about what he was doing than Veronica had given him credit for; and it appeared that he had departed that knowledge onto his daughter. "So you knew you were on the run?"

Lily had a look on her face the read "Duh!" but she instead she said, "For as long as I can remember Dad called it our global game of hide and seek." As she finished speaking, Lily picked up the charm of her necklace and begun to rub it.

A sudden wave of sadness overtook Veronica as she looked at Lily. Veronica may have had her innocence ripped away the night Aaron Echolls killed the original Lilly Kane, but she still had a childhood mostly full of family, friends, and games. Meanwhile Lily had grown up looking over her shoulder hoping that the wrong people didn't catch up with her and her dad. Her innocence had been lost the moment Veronica and Duncan hatched the plan to rescue her from the Mannings.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I had no idea what it was going to be like for you growing up. I just figured that it had to be better than what the Mannings had planned." Veronica began to apologize, only to be interrupted by the car behind her honking when the light turned green. Veronica turned to face the road as she started driving again, but not before she lifted her left hand and gave the car behind them the bird.

"I'm not looking for sympathy," Lily said, folding her arms in front of her. "Look, I don't know you; but Dad always told me that if we ever got in trouble that I should find you or Uncle Logan. Now he's gone and he's put me with both of you. That tells me my Dad knew something was going to go wrong and I need to know if you're going to help him."

Veronica could see the school up ahead as well as the television vans and media photographers surrounding it. Someone must have tipped the press off that Lily had already returned to school. She wasn't sure what to say to Lily and she was running out of time. "Lily, we don't even know if he's alive," Veronica found herself saying.

Lily shook her head adamantly. "My dad's not dead. It would feel like my mom if he was."

The media hadn't spotted them yet so Veronica pulled the car over to the sidewalk about two blocks up from the school. This time she turned her whole body in her seat to face Lily. "I'm going to do everything that I can to figure out what happened to your Dad and why, and I know that Logan would say the same thing. I just can't make any promises about what we'll find. Do you understand?"

Lily nodded her head and Veronica gave her a smile.

"Good. Now I need you to do something really important for me." Lily gave one short nod so Veronica continued on. "Try to be careful about who you speak to about your father and what you say. Unless you're with me and Logan and we say it's ok, don't talk about him. If somebody asks about him, just try to steer the conversation a different direction."

"Not even my friends? Why?"

"Because if you're right about him being in trouble, we don't know who to trust."

"Ok." Lily said although the look on her face indicated that she didn't agree at all at what Veronica was asking of her.

Veronica looked down at her watch and noticed that it was eight minutes to 8. "We've got to go or you're going to be late." Veronica said as she turned forward and pulled the car away from the curb.

* * *

Entering the school's drop off lane had been a lot easier than leaving it once the media spotted Lily exiting Veronica's car and hurrying to the school building. Before she could pull away, her car had been surrounded by video cameras, microphones, and camera flashes. The reporters kept throwing questions at her about how Lily was doing, why wasn't Jake Kane guardian, was Veronica sleeping with Duncan or was Veronica sleeping with Logan; one reporter even asked if the three of them had a "special" relationship. Despite her "No comment" response to all of their questions, they continued to swarm her car, making it very difficult to move forward. Clemmons and the school's rent-a-cops had to come out and disperse the media when the parents behind Veronica started their own choir of car horns because nobody could move.

"I swear I'm not the one who called them," Veronica apologized to Clemmons as he stood outside her car door. She took the opportunity to pull out the completed registration forms and handed them to the Principal.

"Yes, well until this media frenzy dies down, could you and Mr. Echolls please pick up and drop off Ms. Kane in the back by the teachers' parking lot," Clemmons flatly responded, accepting the papers from Veronica.

Fifteen minutes later Veronica was pulling up to her parking space in front of Mars Investigations. She first popped into the bakery to get herself a chocolate croissant and her Dad a bear-claw before heading upstairs. She was surprised to find that the office's front door was locked when she arrived. She quickly unlocked the door and headed to her desk. Stuck to the middle of her computer monitor was a note from her Dad saying that he got an early-morning call from a PI contact that a bail-jumper he had been trying to find had just shown up in Tucson, Arizona and she would have to hold down the fort. Veronica sent a quick text to Keith telling him she got his message and to be careful before getting a cup of coffee and sitting down to finish that month's invoices.

By 11:15 Veronica had finished the invoices and was ready to start her next task. She pulled up a web browser and started to enter 'Kane Software', but half-way through she deleted all that she had typed and replaced it with 'Navarro Auto'. The autoshop was only a few miles away from the old post office so Veronica grabbed her keys and the mail and then headed out, locking the office behind her.

Navarro Auto was located in The Shores Industrial Park which hugged the border between the 07 and 08 zip codes. Most of the companies based there were in the service industry with a strong 09er customer-base: catering companies, event equipment rental, maid and cleaning services, and limousine and luxury car rentals. Navarro Auto specialized in auto detailing and high priced vehicle customization so it fit right in.

Veronica parked the car in one of the spaces marked for customers of Navarro Auto. As she got out of the car she couldn't help but notice how nice and clean everything seemed compared to just two blocks east in the 07 zip code: buildings were clear of graffiti, the roads were pot-hole free, and palm trees lined the sidewalk where customers parked – ensuring their cars stayed cool while they completed their business inside. There weren't many cars in the parking lot that looked over a year or two old so Veronica assumed that most employees either took the bus to this neighborhood or they parked a couple blocks away and walked rest of the way.

A bell chimed when Veronica opened the front, but the kid sitting at the sales desk didn't bother to look up. When Veronica looked more closely at him, she noticed that he was wearing a set of headphones as he busily clicked away on his computer mouse. She decided to take advantage of his inattention and take a look around the main waiting area. Along the front wall there was a series of displays showing off the various customization services that were offered, including sound and light systems, rims, paint jobs, and hardware like exhaust pipes. There was a well-lit sitting area with what looked like actually comfortable black leather armchairs. A flat-screen tv tuned into some business and market channel hung in the corner so it could be seen from all the chairs. In the middle of the room there was a coffee table with various car and men magazines as well as booklets outlining the cost of detailing and customization services at Navarro Auto. The far left wall that was shared with the garage was made out of glass so you could watch the work being done, but the sound proofing was good because you could barely hear the sounds of the various power tools being used. Weevil's office was carved out of the front of the main area. Its walls were also glass, but drawn shades prevented her from seeing inside. The door was currently closed so Veronica could only hope that her target was in there.

Veronica made her way to sales desk and stood in front of the kid, who she estimated was barely over 18. When he continued not to notice her she reached over and pulled his earbuds out.

"Hey man, I was listening to…" he started, but as soon as he saw Veronica he stopped. "Oh, a customer."

Veronica simply smiled in reply.

"Sorry about that, we normally don't get a lot of people stopping by in between the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. How can I help you?" the kid apologized.

"Actually, I was hoping that I could speak to…" Veronica began.

"Echolls, just because you're a silent partner doesn't mean you get to bring your car in for a free detail every time a bug hits the windshield!" Weevil bellowed as he threw open the door to his office.

"Him," Veronica finished by pointing at Weevil over her shoulder. Before the kid could answer, Veronica turned around to face the former PCHer. In the most flirty way possible she said, "Hey Weevil! That would actually be my car."

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" he said, his face brightening when he realized that it was Veronica and not Logan. He opened his arms for a hug so Veronica gave him one. As they broke apart he said, "You're looking good, Blondie. East Coast living must really agree with you."

"You clean up pretty good yourself," Veronica shifted the attention back on Weevil. He was wearing a pair of black slacks, a blue button-up shirt, a grey blazer, and a pair of reading glasses perched on the top of his bald head.

"Who would have thought back in high school that I would be trading in my motorcycle jacket for sports coats?" Weevil agreed. "So what can I do for you, V? "

"I was hoping that I could take you to lunch and catch up?" Veronica said as friendly as possible. Weevil eyed Veronica and she knew that he was going to give her some kind of excuse about why he couldn't go. "You know, find out what you've been up to since the _last_ time we saw each other," she added as she cocked her head in that signature way.

Weevil sighed, but then yelled out at the kid, "Hey Cesar, I'm going to lunch."

* * *

**Author's Note - Hey everybody. Ok, so having to combine chapters means that this is the last of the two finished chapters I had pre-written from before my move. I had another half a chapter that I've been trying to finish off, but it's a bit of a long one. Since it's been almost a week and a half since my last posting I decided not to wait until I finished that one and just give you guys this. This does mean that now I'm only going to be able to post as I finish writing chapters (and apparently I am a bit of a slow writer) so I'm not sure how often that will be. Hopefully at least once a week. I'm really glad that so many of you guys liked the last chapter and I thank all my new followers and all of you that have stuck with this story.**


	21. Chapter 20

Twenty minutes later Veronica found herself sitting on a wooden bench on Dog Beach waiting for Weevil, who refused to let her pay, to return with their food. He soon came back with a tray filled with a basket of chips and guacamole, 2 plates with 4 authentic Mexican-style tacos covered in avocado, tomatillo sauce, and cilantro on each, and 2 Modelo beers.

"These are the best tacos in Neptune. I got us each 1 chicken, 1 carne asada, 1 carnita, and 1 shrimp. Hope you don't mind drinking during the workday, but they taste better with beer," Weevil said as he handed Veronica a plate.

Veronica picked up her carnita taco and took a bite. "Oh my god this is so good," she moaned as her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. She took a swig of beer to wash it down and then returned greedily to her taco.

"Easy, V. You might put an eye out the way you're going at that taco."

"You don't understand Weevil," Veronica replied with her mouth full. She took a second to actually swallow her food so she didn't choke. "On the East Coast it's really hard to find good Mexican food like this. I think I may cry I'm so happy."

"Please don't. I can't be seen with a crying woman," Weevil said before taking the first bite of his tacos.

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Why? You don't want people to see you have a sensitive side? Or you just don't want word to get back to the little lady that you were seen at lunch with a sexy, heartbroken blonde."

"My wife Carina knows I'm not dumb enough to have something on the side. She would toss my ass out on the street so fast if I did," Weevil declared, before adding with a grumble, "You're not my type anyway."

"So you do have a little lady," Veronica confirmed.

"And two kids," Weevil added as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. With a swish of his fingers he unlocked it and went straight to photos.

Scrolling through the pictures he finally found the one he wanted and handed his phone to Veronica. Veronica smiled at the sight of a gorgeous brunette and two cute kids, a girl and a boy, playing on the beach.

"That's Carina, obviously, and that's Felix," Weevil pointed to the little boy. "He's eight. And my little girl is Leti. She's three and a half."

"They're adorable," Veronica cooed and then handed the phone back to Weevil.

"For a moment there you sounded like an actual girl," he said as he accepted the device back from her. "So what about you, V? You've got a man at home, started the mommy track?"

Veronica shook her head and then looked at the ocean briefly. "Come on Weevs. Do I look like a girl who wants to be on the mommy track?"

Weevil shrugged. "I never thought of myself as the Daddy type, but when you meet the right person..." Weevil let his words trail off, trying to prompt Veronica to say something but she just took another bite of her tacos. "So, I saw you're driving Echolls' car. Does this mean you and him are giving it another go now that you're back?"

"No!" Veronica didn't even wait to swallow her food before answering that question. Weevil began to chuckle as though the joke was on her so Veronica added, "One, I'm not back. Me on the West Coast is just a temporary thing while some things at work are resolved. Two – the car's just a loaner while we take care of Lily. Once that's done, I return it and we go back to our respective corners."

"Sure, V. Whatever let's you sleep at night." Weevil slowly wiped his mouth with a napkin before adding, "But if you ask me, the one thing that'll never change is..."

"Speaking of change, what brought about this evolution of Eli Navarro?" Veronica cut off Weevil before he could finish his thought.

Weevil chuckled to himself before saying, "It started when I had to get a job fixing things at this fancy school for rich, white, people because a smart ass blonde got me fired from the car wash."

"Sounds like hell. Tell me more," Veronica playfully commented as she grabbed a chip.

"It turns out that Hearst isn't against smartening up the help. They let staff take a free class a semester after they've been working there for 3 years, so I decided to take a business class."

"Business, really?" Veronica asked, the skepticism running deep in her voice.

"Running a motorcycle gang isn't that different from running a legit business. Besides, if that think tank Dick Casablancas could do it, how hard could it be?" Weevil paused to let Veronica insert a witty comment, but all she did was nod her head in agreement and make a 'go on' gesture before popping another chip in her mouth.

"First semester I did ok, but I wanted to do better because it would be a big deal to my Abuelita (God rest her soul) that a Navarro was finally going to college. So second semester I sign up for a tutor and I end up with this super smart and foxy Sophomore, Carina."

"Brains and a beauty. Nice catch."

"Don't I know it!" Weevil whole-heartedly agreed. "Carina kicked my ass when it came to studying and I finished the semester with a B+. Me, Weevil Navarro, the kid who never got more than a C in high school math, got a B+ in Intro to Accounting."

"Of course you did," Veronica smiled and her voice softened for a moment, before reverting back to the patented Mars sense of humor. "I always knew there was a nerd hidden under all those tough guy tattoos."

Weevil gave a small half-smile which Veronica had seen enough times after getting him out of scrapes that she knew meant 'thank you'.

"Carina stuck by me after that. As she helped me get through classes we became friends, then more than friends, then engaged. We got married shortly after she graduated and just before my Abuelita passed." Weevil's voice got a little choked up and his eyes a little misty. Veronica reached out and quickly squeezed his left hand which was resting on the table. After a quick deep breath out, Weevil composed himself and continued.

"I'm not going to lie. It was rough that first year of marriage. A combination of student loans and continuing to work maintenance part-time so I could qualify for reduced-tuition for staff allowed me to take on a full class load; but Carina was also working full-time at a management consulting firm. With my study schedule and her working 60 hour weeks, we hardly saw each other, but somehow we still managed to get pregnant with Felix after only six months."

A concerned look came over Veronica's face, "Please don't tell me you qui…"

Before she could finish Weevil cut her off, "V, the only thing Eli Navarro has ever quit was the PCHer's."

"So what did you do?"

"I doubled up on classes while Carina was pregnant and during her maternity leave. Then when Carina went back to work, I became a stay-at-home dad while I finished my last few courses. Mrs. Toombs, Felix Toombs mother, took care of the baby when I had to be at class. I graduated shortly after his first birthday and got a job as assistant manager for the garage at DeCostas Mercedes and BMW."

"That's one of the biggest luxury dealerships in Neptune," Veronica pointed out. " You know I respect you, but I have to ask, how the hell did a former PCHer like you get that '09er job?"

"Nepotism," Weevil said matter-of-factly.

"Nepotism?" Veronica raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I don't think the word means what you think it means."

"As in it backfired. Old Man DeCostas put his son Paul in charge of the garage. The only thing that Pendejo knows about cars is how to snort snow off the dashboard; plus he was a dick to all the mechanics. His dad wanted at least one person in the front office who knew how cars worked and could talk to the boys in the garage without setting off a discrimination lawsuit."

"Sounds like such a nice place to work." Veronica snarked.

"Yeah, well, there weren't a whole lot of people lining up to hire a reformed biker with a rap sheet, even with a degree. I was lucky that Mr. DeCostas was willing to look past it. It was a good gig for the few years I was there, but even I knew that was as far as I was ever going to get."

Veronica sighed before saying, "Ok, so I guess the next question is – how did you go from a dead-end assistant manager position to partnering up with your sworn enemy to open your own garage."

"It's a funny story," Weevil chuckled, "But I'm not sure you're going to like it."

"It's been a rough couple of days. Amuse me," Veronica commanded as if she was a queen and Weevil was her jester.

"If you say so. It started with a rumor that your boy Logan stole out from under DeCostas Junior the Blonde who was warming his bed."

A tight look came over Veronica's face as she muttered, "That's a shocker." Weevil raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Finally Veronica let out an annoyed, "What?"

"Mm hmm," Weevil replied before continuing, "Well, Surfer Boy insists it never happened, but that didn't matter to Junior. When he heard that story, he decided to go for the jugular. It happened that Logan regularly brought his car into the garage to be detailed, so Junior paid off one of the newer mechanics to hide a kilo of Mary Jane in the well of the spare and mix a little something in the gas tank that would stall out Logan's engine after leaving the dealership. Then using the tracking function of the anti-theft device he would sic the cops on him."

Veronica let out a little laugh, "It's the bong in the locker all over again." Weevil looked at Veronica a little confused, but she just waved him off, "Go on."

"I was tipped off about what was about to go down by one of the other mechanics. Given my history with Echolls, I knew that he would probably be pointing his finger at me first. Carina had just found out she was pregnant with Leti so the last thing I needed was to get fired or possibly go to jail because of Junior's bruised ego; but I think a part of me also didn't like someone else giving Echolls shit, especially over such a lame ass reason. I came back after hours and cleaned out the car and its fuel system before Logan ever found out. Of course when nothing happened to Echolls, Junior figured out what I had done and he fired me anyways, with no severance and my name blacklisted across town."

"He fires you and destroys this good guy rep you've been building. Please don't tell me you just let that jackass get off scott-free. If so, you are a much bigger person than I am," Veronica interrupted.

"Don't count on that. DeCostas assumed that I stole the drugs and was going to sell them to all my old biker buddies. What he didn't know is that before I left, I flushed it, bag and all, down the toilet in the Manager's private bathroom. The plumber had to call the cops when he found out what had clogged the toilet. Junior got 5-years probation and moved to the sales floor where daddy dearest could keep a close eye on him."

The side of Veronica's mouth curled into a smile and she held out her hand for a fist bump. Weevil looked away as if he was too cool for it, but bumped it anyways.

"That was smooth, Navarro."

"Well, I learned from the best," Weevil replied before continuing his story. "A bunch of the guys at the garage didn't like me getting canned so they sent Luis, the head mechanic, to talk to Echolls about what had really happened. I think they thought Logan would go to DeCostas Sr. and pressure him to give me my job back. Instead he comes to me and proposes that I partner with him and open our own shop"

"Wait, I don't get it. Why would he want a garage? Isn't his expertise in the hospitality industry?"

"Shouldn't you be asking Echolls that?"

"Probably, but I'm asking you," Veronica replied and then plunked another chip piled high with guacamole in her mouth.

Weevil shook his head, but went on to answer her question. "He had owned the Grand for a couple years at that point and I think he wanted to diversify the investment of his profits. As he put it, I knew all the good mechanics, he knew all the good customers – we would be turning a profit in no time. But I also think he wanted to stick it to DeCostas. We ended up stealing half of his garage staff and even more customers." When he finished, Weevil glanced down at his watch and a pained look came over his face.

"Look V, as much as I love traveling down memory lane, I've got to get back to the shop soon and we both know that this isn't really what you wanted to talk to me about?"

With a fake sigh Veronica said, "Why is it my friends and family always believe I have a hidden agenda when I want to see or talk to them?"

"Are we really friends?" Weevil surprised Veronica with his own question.

Veronica shifted uneasily in her seat before answering, "Of course we are Weevil. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't blame you for getting the hell out of this place," Weevil partially excused her, "but you never called, you never wrote, where's the love?" Before Veronica could respond Weevil continued, "A lot has changed here in Neptune, and I'm not just talking about my wardrobe. Logan and I, we let go of all that crap from the past and we moved on. We're not just partners in the garage, we're actually friends, and you would know that if you checked in from time to time."

Weevil looked away as Veronica opened up her mouth several times to say something, but nothing came out at first. Finally Veronica got out, "I needed a clean break and letting as much here go was the only way possible. I'm really sorry if that hurt you. That was never my intention."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Weevil decided how he was going to respond. Finally he looked back at her and said, "I was dropping off a car."

Veronica let out a breath she hadn't been aware that she had been holding. Leaning forward she placed both her elbows on the table and began, "I hate to ask…"

"I know what you're going to ask, Blondie, so go ahead."

Leaning back, she said, "Why were you dropping a car off at the Neptune Grand?"

"It was Logan's idea that we connect the guests, including daytime meeting attendees, to the garage through a couple of different concierge services. Guests who bring their own cars can request free basic detailing services and reduced prices for upgrade packages. We also invested in a small fleet ranging from luxury cars to sport utility vehicles that guests can rent. We had a late request for one of these rentals on Wednesday and our usual guy who drives the cars over had already left for the day. I went ahead and volunteered to drive it over since I normally play poker there on Wednesday nights. I figured one of the guys could give me a ride home."

"Guys? What guys are you talking about?"

"Let's see. There's Logan, Duncan, Dick, your BFF Wallace," Weevil listed the names off on his fingers.

"Wait, Wallace plays poker with you, Logan, Dick, and Duncan?"

A guilty look came over Weevil's face. "Shit, I take it the Professor never told you."

"Nope." Veronica replied, her voice taking on a tense edge. "Wallace didn't say anything about being scheduled to go to the Grand when I spoke to him yesterday."

"That's because it was cancelled. Poker starts at 8, but like said I showed up early to drop off the car. I had just handed the valet the keys for the rental when the explosion happened. Once I had evacuated with the other hotel guests I texted Wallace and Dick to tell them what happened and to not bother coming out. Logan's assistant sent a text to us all saying the same thing about 20 minutes later."

"Why didn't you text Duncan?" Veronica followed up.

"I figured Duncan was already at the hotel and knew what had happened. I looked for him and Logan in the crowd of the evacuated guests, but once I recognized that it was his suite burning I realized…" his voice trailed off. Veronica understood where he was going and nodded, indicating that he didn't need to continue that thought.

"I hung around as long as possible looking for those two." Weevil continued. "I finally spotted Logan when the cops were hauling his ass away. Needless to say I was surprised to see your ass being hauled away beside his. Right after that, I walked away so I could find a quiet place to call my wife to let her know I was ok and ask her to pick me up." When Weevil finished his story he took the last swallow of his beer.

"One last question, Weevil. What was the name of the guest getting the rental?"

Without hesitating Weevil answered, "Stewart Andrews."

Veronica nodded as she filed the name in the back of her mind. "Thanks, Weevil. I think that's all I need to know now. I don't want to keep you too late."

"Not a problem, Blondie. I knew you were going to come calling when I saw you that night." Weevil reached into pants pocket and pulled out a card. "Look, here's my phone number in case you have any more questions or," Weevil paused before adding uncertainly, "you just want to come meet the family."

Veronica smiled and was just about to reply when she was interrupted by a woman yelling, "Primo!" Both Weevil and Veronica looked over to see a pretty Latina woman approach them. A huge smile came over Weevil's face and he opened his arms wide to receive her "Prima!" Weevil stood up to greet the woman.

Veronica watched the two cousins hug and give each other kisses on the cheek before they launched into a flurry of Spanish. Suddenly feeling like a third wheel, Veronica stood up and gathered her bag. She placed a hand on Weevil's shoulder and said, "Thanks for lunch, Weevs. I'm going to head out."

"Wait, V," Weevil said as if he suddenly remembered that she was there. "Veronica, this is my cousin Beatriz. Beatriz, this is Veronica Mars."

Beatriz gasped and looked at Weevil. "Not _the_ patron saint Veronica?"

Interpreting Beatriz response as sarcasm, Veronica was about to object to that nickname when Beatriz enveloped her in a hug, trapping Veronica. Surprised, she said, "Nice to meet you too."

"When I was growing up," Beatriz began as she finally let go of Veronica, "_this one_ would always tell us stories about how you saved his ass, time after time."

Veronica turned to Weevil who was suddenly paying attention to anything but the two ladies in front of him. "Don't let him tell you otherwise, but he saved my ass a time or two as well," Veronica put a good word in for her friend.

Before Beatriz could inquire about those stories, Weevil asked his cousin, "What are you doing here Bea? Shouldn't you be in the office." Before she could answer, Weevil added as an aside, "Bea was the second Navarro to go to college, but the first one to graduate. She studied computers and now works at Kane Software."

"You must be really talented, Kane only takes the best of the best," Veronica replied. She had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't say something about also hiring people who were morally questionable. "So you have to tell us, what has it been like in the office since the explosion at Duncan Kane's?"

"Well, umm, I actually work for Duncan," Beatriz explained, "It's a mess. We have a major release coming up next weekend, so things have been a little chaotic anyway. We had planned for a whole host of contingencies, but this wasn't one of them. Management released us early today while they figure out what to do."

"God, that is so awful," Veronica said with a sympathetic smile plastered across her face. Knowing her moves, Weevil gave Veronica a look that said 'don't pump my cousin for information' but Veronica just ignored him. Veronica gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders as if she didn't know what he was trying to imply before adding, "I was telling your cousin how I'm actually helping our friend Logan take care of Duncan's daughter. She's taking it really hard."

"I can only imagine," Beatriz said.

"She's been asking us a lot of questions about why this would happen, but we haven't been able to tell her anything," Veronica replied with a sigh. Beatriz, whose attention was on Veronica, didn't notice her cousin rolling his eyes. "You know," Veronica continued, "it would be really helpful to talk with someone, like you, who saw Duncan on a daily basis and who may have noticed if anything odd was going on with him." Veronica trailed off the end of her sentence so she could observe Beatriz's reaction. She didn't seem against the idea so she continued, "I'd love to do it now but I have to get back to the office, maybe we could get coffee this weekend and I could ask you a few questions."

"I don't know if I'll have anything useful to say, but if you think it would help that poor girl," Beatriz replied. "It will have to wait until after the weekend though. I'm going out of town to go see an old college friend and won't get back until late Sunday."

"Not a problem. How about Monday at 5, Java the Hut?" Veronica suggested.

"I'll see you there," Beatriz said.

"Great," Veronica replied. "Well, I really have to get back to the office now. It was nice to meet you, Beatriz, and it was good catching up with you Weevil."

Beatriz smiled and Weevil opened his arms for a hug. This surprised Veronica. The Weevil she knew wasn't one who got sentimental at goodbyes, but she knew it would appear rude to Beatriz if she called him on it. As they hugged, Weevil whispered into her ear. "V, I hope you know what you're doing."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful with her," Veronica whispered back before she let go and headed out.

* * *

**Author's Note - Thanks for sticking with me. I have to admit - this chapter has been difficult. **** I love Weevil, but I have to admit that this new and improved Eli Navarro can be tricky to write because he needs to have those PCH roots, but now act more like the upper middle class that he strives to be (if that makes sense). Anyways **I hope you like this exploration into Weevil. 

**In case you are wondering - since Beatriz is a Latina, "Bea" should be pronounced as Bay-ah. I found that name in a book **** ("Shadows of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon) **I recently listened to and really loved it. I knew I had to use it as soon as I met Weevil's cousin in my head. 

**I am not sure when my next update will be since nothing is written, but it'll be sometime this month. **** I had the first half of this chapter written before I even found out I had to move (which was at the end of June), but the interruption of the move really took me out of the Mars universe for a bit. I'm only now able to wade my way through it again, which is why it has been slower writing****. As I sink back into it, my writing should speed up. ****Thanks again for all the reviews. I really enjoy reading them, and several of them are inspiring me on things I want to try/include in future chapters. **I try to write back to each of them, but sometimes I'm kind of late doing that. Also thank you to all my new followers. Until next time.

**P.S. I hope no one on the East Coast takes offense at my dig at their tacos. I actually live out there and do know that there are plenty of places to get authentic Mexican tasting tacos. I just figured V would be a snob about it. She is a California girl at heart.**


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